UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


.    1   1 


MAJOR      GEUERAL. 


GENERAL    LANE'S 


B  E I  GAD  E 


IN   CENTRAL    MEXICO. 


BY 

ALBERT  G.  BRACKETT,  M.  D., 

LATE   AN   OFFICER   JN   THE   U.  S.  VOLUNTEER  SERVICE. 


CINCINNATI: 
H.  W.  DERBY  &  CO,  PUBLISHERS. 

NEW   YORK: 

J.    C.    D   E   R  B  Y. 

1854. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

H.   W.  DERBY, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Ohio. 


" 


405. 


TO 

BREVET  MAJOR-GENERAL  JOSEPH  LANE, 

AND  THE  OFFICERS  AND  SOLDIERS  OF  HIS  BRIGADE, 

WHO     SERVED     AT 

anb  <£la0cala 

THIS  VOLUME 

IS    MOST    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 
BY    THEIR    OLD     0  O  It  R  A  D  E 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


I  OFFER  the  following  pages  to  the  American  public, 
hoping  by  so  doing,  that  I  have  presented  something 
new  and  something  which  has  never  before  been  made 
public.  The  operations  of  GENERAL  LANE,  in  the  Mexican 
War,  were  of  the  most  brilliant  character,  so  much  so, 
indeed,  that  he  won  by  them  the  appellation  of  "  the 
Marion  of  the  War ;"  this  compliment,  which  was  doubt- 
less intended  as  a  high  one,  does  not  do  justice  to  Lane. 
His  exploits  were  far  more  brilliant  and  successful  than 
those  of  that  hero  of  the  Revolution,  and  Lane  therefore, 
cannot  be  considered  as  a  copyist  of  his.  He  is  an  ori- 
ginal— or,  if  he  resembles  any  one  in  particular,  it  is  his 
own  namesake,  Marshal  LANNES.  In  these  pages  I  have 
attempted  to  do  justice  to  him  and  his  Brigade,  and  hope' 
I  have  not  altogether  failed  in  doing  so. 

My  position  as  First  Lieutenant  in  an  Indiana  regiment, 
was  obtained  by  my  being  in  the  State  of  Indiana  during 
the  winter  of  1846-47,  and  the  following  spring  I  joined 
a  Volunteer  company,  and  received  the  rank  of  Second 
Lieutenant,  and  I  was  afterward  promoted  to  a  First 
Lieutenancy. 

No  apologies  are  offered  for  my  work ;  U  must  stand  or 

fall  by  itself;  I  claim  for  it  but  one  merit,  which  is  TRUTH. 

'' 


vi  PREFACE. 

I  have  attempted  to  give  a  fair  and  impartial  account  of 
Gen.  Lane's  proceedings  as  they  fell  under  my  notice, 
noting  down  whatever  occurred  worthy  of  especial  atten- 
tion ;  though  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  toilsome  march, 
where  the  footsteps  of  men  may  be  tracked  in  blood,  and 
cheerless  nights,  made  more  dreary  by  cold  and  pelting 
storms,  are  but  ill  calculated  to  inspire  a  person  with  a 
love  of  journal  writing,  or  with  fanciful  images.  This 
fact,  I  presume,  needs  no  proof  in  order  to  be  believed. 

I  feel  under  obligations  to  A.  W.  Armstrong,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, a  gallant  fellow,  who  was  Adjutant  of  the  First 
Ohio  Regiment,  and  who  lost  a  leg  at  the  battle  of  Mon- 
terey; and  also  to  Jacob  P.  Chapman,  of  Indianapolis, 
(the  latter  being  the  famous  "Crowing  Chapman,")  for 
their  kindness  to  me  while  collecting  documents  relative 
to  our  Brigade.  I  also  thank  several  of  my  old  comrades 
for  facts  and  papers  which  have  been  of  great  service 
to  me. 

With  these  words  of  preface,  I  send  my  leaves  to  float 
along  the  broad  world,  and  whoever  is  kind  enough  to 
befriend  them  will  confer  a  favor  upon 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I.     X 

Formation  of  Regiment — New  Orleans — At  Sea — Brazos  de  San- 
tiago—Brigadier-General Lane — Rio  Grande — Fandango— Rey- 
noso — Camargo — School  of  Instruction  at  Mier — Col.  Belknap — 
Mier — Scorpions  and  Snakes — Return  down  the  Rio  Grande — 
Matamoros 11 

CHAPTER    II. 

Departure  for  Vera  Cruz — Dolphins — Vera  Cruz — Visit  to  the 
City — Castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa — Officers  of  the  brigade — 
Edward  Gilbert — Killed  in  a  Duel — Leave  Vera  Cruz — Lieut. 
Cullman's  death — Guerrilla  fight — Lieut.  Cline  killed — National 
Bridge — Jalapa — Major  Lally's  Command 37 

CHAPTER    III. 

Plants  and  fruits  of  Mexico — Night  in  the  mountains — Anecdote 
of  Gen.  Lane — La  Hoya — Perote — Captain  Samuel  H.  Walker — 
Louisiana  cavalry — Tepiacualca — Fight  with  a  Pork  House — 
Ojo  de  Agua — Santa  Anna — Hacienda  San  Antonio  Tamaris — 
Prospect  of  a  battle — Bivouac 68 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Preparations  for  battle — Battle  of  Huamantla — Incidents — Captain 
Walker  killed — Col.  La  Vega  and  Major  Iturbide — Thanks  of 
Gen.  Lane  to  his  soldiers — Our  killed  and  wounded  —  Poley 
shot — Col.  Charles  H.  Brough — Pinel  Pass — Attack  on  4th  Ohio 
regiment — Virgin  of  Guadalupe — Legend— Gen.  La  Vega — 
Colonel  Willis  A.  Gorman — Amasoque 88 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    V. 

Puebla  —  Street-fighting — Siege  of  Puebla — Incidents  —  Killed 
and  wounded  —  Convent  of  San  Augustine  —  Description  — 
Monks  —  Cathedral  of  Puebla  —  Ornaments  and  building — 
Grand  Plaza  —  Palace — Colonel  Thomas  Childs — On  guard — 
Firing  into  an  armed  party  of  Mexicans  —  Alameda  —  Beau- 
tiful scenery — Old  Convent.  110 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Mexican  people — Ladies— Peons — Food — Beggars  and  Priests — 
Soldiers — Hotels — Atlixco — Bombarding  the  town  by  moonlight 
— Dreadful  slaughter — Pyramid  of  Cholula — Tradition  respect- 
ing it — Reflections — Return  to  Puebla — Market  in  Puebla — 
Second  in  a  duel — On  guard  and  patrol  ing 137 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Fight  at  Tlascala — Dumont's  Report — Lieut-Colonel  Ebenezer 
Dumont — Lieutenant  Chapman — Horrid  Tragedy — Volcanoes 
of  Popocatepetl  and  Iztaccihuatl — Ascent  of  Popocatepetl  by 
a  party  of  United  States'  Officers  —  Contra-Gtierrillas  —  Old 
soldier  of  Napoleon  —  Fight  at  Matamoros  and  the  Pass  of 
Galajara  —  Lieut.  Ridgely  killed — Change  of  Quarters  —  Col. 
Jack  Hays  and  Texas  Rangers  —  Theaters  —  Singing  and 
Music 167 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Fight  with  Guerrillas — Battered  on  the  head — Evening  at  Abe 
Lewis'  quarters — Duel  between  Lieutenants  Martin  and  Lilly — 
Meeting  of  officers  of  our  brigade — Letter  to  General  Lane—- 
Medal ordered  to  be  made — Lane  goes  to  the  city  of  Mexico- 
Letter  to  Gen.  Scott — Guerrillas  in  the  city  of  Puebla — Scott's 
orders  respecting  them  —  Generals  Torrejon  and  Gaona  taken 
prisoners — Doctor  Elisha  K.  Kane 2U2 

CHAPTER    IX. 

New-year's  day  and  8th  of  January  celebration — Speeches,  toasts, 
etc. — Promoted  to  the  artillery — Capt.  Hermann  Kessler — Paint- 
ing and  Poetry — Lane's  Expedition  to  Tehuacan — Attempt  to 
capture  Santa  Auna  —  Night  march— Description  of  Orizab:i 


CONTENTS.  ix 

valley —  Cordova — Major  Wm.  H.  Polk  — Amusing  anecdote  — 
Santa  Anna's  letter  —  New  troops  —  Lieut.  Wm.  L.  Crittenden 
shot  at  Havanna 225 

CHAPTER    X. 

Capture  of  guerrillas — Hanging  them — Stampede  among  the 
Mexicans — Childs'  letter  to  General  Gaona,  and  reply — General 
Lane's  expedition  to  Sequalteplan — Defeat  of  Padre  Jarauta — 
Capt.  Kessler  killed — San  Martin's — Recovery  of  dead  bodies — 
Lieut.-Col.  Augustus  Moore — Carnival — Ordered  to  Napalou- 
can — Regiment  marches  out  of  Puebla — Amasoque 253 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Napaloucan — Major  William  W.  McCoy — Hacienda  San  Marcos — 
Sports — Visit  to  the  city  of  Mexico — Mexican  girls — Sights  in 
the  city — Return — Major-General  Winfield  Scott — Major  Dyke- 
man — March  to  En  Cerro — List  of  regiments  at  En  Cerro — Brig.- 
Gen.  Lane — Major  Taylor  and  Captain  Field  drowned  at  sea- 
Loss  of  steamship  San  Francisco — Lieut.  Winder's  letter. .  276 

CHAPTER     XII. 

March  Homeward — Passo  de  Ovejas — Vergara — Rain  and  Wind — 
Captain  Fravel — Company  loss — Steamship  Portland — At  Sea 
— Mississippi  River — First  Reception — Major-General  Zachary 
Taylor  —  James  Brackett,  Esq  —  Letters  —  Colonel  Humphry 
Marshall — Madison — Mustered  out  of  IT.  S.  service 307 


GENERAL   LANE'S   BRIGADE 


CENTRAL     MEXICO, 


CHAPTER   I. 

Formation  of  Regiment — New  Orleans — At  Sea — Brazos  de  San- 
tiago— Brigadier-General  Lane — Rio  Grande — Fandango — Rey- 
noso — Camargo — School  of  Instruction  at  Mier — Col.Belknap — 
Mier — Scorpions  and  Snakes — Return  down  the  Rio  Grande — 
Matamoros.  — 

TEN  companies  of  volunteers  having  been  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States'  service  at  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana,  by  Capt.  R.  C.  Gatlin,  of  the  7th  regiment 
of  U.  S.  Infantry,  they  were  formally  organized  into 
a  regiment,  on  the  15th  day  of  June  1847,  and  re- 
ceived the  name  of  "  The  4th  Regiment  of  Indi- 
ana Volunteers."  On  the  following  day  the  field- 
officers  were  elected,  as  follows :  Major  Willis  A. 
Gorman  of  the  3d  Indiana  regiment,  who  had  served 
with  credit  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  was  elected 
Colonel.  Captain  Ebenezer  Dumont  was  elected 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  Captain  William  W.McCoy 
was  elected  Major. 

The  regiment  first  formed  a  line  at  Fort  Clark, 
opposite  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  the  17th  day  of 
June,  and  presented  a  decent  appearance,  though 


12  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

most  of  the  officers  and  men  were  then  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives  doing  military  duty.  It  numbered 
near  nine  hundred,  including  forty-three  commis- 
sioned officers,  and  contained  the  material  out  of 
which  a  brave  and  well  disciplined  regiment  was 
subsequently  made. 

The  encampment  at  Fort  Clark  was  pleasant 
enough,  though  there  was  no  discipline  or  order 
maintained  by  our  commanding  officer,  and  the 
soldiers  were  suffered  to  roam  at  will  to  Louisville, 
New  Albany,  and  Jeifersonville.  This  state  of 
things  did  not  last  long,  and  on  the  27th  day  of 
June,  1847,  we  struck  our  tents  and  marched  to 
Jeffersonville,  where  we  embarked  on  board  steam- 
boats, and  were  soon  sailing  down  the  beautiful 
Ohio  river,  on  our  way  to  the  seat  of  war  in  the 
Republic  of  Mexico.  To  me  there  had  always  been 
a  fascination  pertaining  to  all  things  military,  and 
\*feen  I  reflected  that  I  was  now  in  the  eighteenth 
year  of  my  age,  a  first  Lieutenant  in  a  regiment  of 
volunteers  on  my  \vay  to  do  battle  for  my  country, 
my  joy  knew  no  bounds.  There  were  three  compa- 
nies on  board  the  steamboat  I  was  on,  all  under  com- 
mand of  the  Major.  The  companies  were  lettered 
H,  I,  and  K.  Old  Captain  Landon  Cochran  com- 
manded company  H,  and  a  better-hearted  old  man 
never  lived.  He  had  been  a  volunteer  in  the  last 
war  with  Great  Britain,  and  served  as  a  marine  on 
board  the  ship  Niagara  at  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie. 
He  had  a  silver  medal  which  was  presented  to  him 
by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  for  his  bravery  in  that 
action,  which  he  was  justly  proud  of,  and  took  great- 
pleasure  in  showing  to  his  fellow  officers. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  13 

As  we  passed  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  every- 
thing looked  new  and  bright  to  me,  and  I  loved  to 
sit  on  the  bow  of  the  boat  and  watch  the  changing 
landscape  while  engaged  in  conversation  with  Cap- 
tain Robert  Fravel,  of  company  I,  which  company 
I  also  belonged  to.  We  counted  the  chances  of 
death  before  us  in  the  coolest  possible  manner,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  one  or  the  other  of  us 
would  leave  our  bones  to  bleach  in  the  land  of  the 
Aztecs.  How  far  right  we  were  in  our  surmises,  will 
be  seen  in  the  sequel. 

A  few  days  brought  us  into  the  land  of  Louisiana, 
and  here  I  saw,  for  the  first  time,  those  beautiful  farms 
and  plantations  which  no  description  can  do  adequate 
justice  to.  There  I  saw  gangs  of  negro  slave's  at 
work  in  the  cotton  and  sugar  fields,  and  felt  a  strange 
sensation  when  I  contrasted  the  difference  between 
Louisiana  and  the  good  old  state  of  New  York,  where 
I  was  born. 

On  the  3d  day  of  July,  we  landed  at  Carroll  ton, 
six  miles  above  New  Orleans,  and  the  same  night  got 
our  tents  pitched  on  the  race-course.  The  following 
morning  was  the  "  Glorious  Fourth  ;"  and- notwith- 
standing it  was  Sunday,  we  had  a  glorious  time  of 
it.  The  pleasure  gardens  at  Carrollton  were  filled 
with  the  youth  and  beauty  of  New  Orleans,  and  there 
were  a  number  of  military  and  fire  companies  come 
up  from  Orleans,  on  the  cars,  to  celebrate  the  day. 
One  company  of  firemen  I  recollect  on  account  of 
their  fine  appearance,  which  was  called  the  <l  Creole 
Company,"  and  on  their  banner  was  painted  a  most 
bewitching  picture  of  a  Creole  lady.  A  band  of 
mulatto  musicians,  belonging  to  a  military  company, 


14:  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

also  attracted  my  attention,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  band  of  the  3d  regiment  of  artillery,  which  I 
had  heard  on  Governor's  Island,  in  New  York  har- 
bor, I  think  I  never  heard  better  martial  music. 
These  yellow  fellows  felt  very  large  in  their  French 
hussar  uniforms,  and  enlivened  the  day  very  much 
by  their  music. 

The  remainder  of  the  regiment  arrived,  and  once 
more  we  were  together  on  the  Eclipse  race-course ; 
our  white  tents  presenting  a  picturesque  appearance, 
and  the  negro  huckster  women  supplying  our  soldiers 
with  the  necessaries  of  life.  I  was  standing  in  front 
of  my  tent,  one  day,  when  a  fine  looking  mulatto  girl 
came  up  to  me,  crying  as  though  her  heart  would 
break.  I  asked  her  what  ailed  her :  "  Oh,  massa," 
said  she,  sobbing,  "  de  soldiers  steal  all  my  cake,  an' 
I  go  home  wif  no  money,  missus  whip  me  mos'  to 
def."  I  inquired  of  her  how  much  her  cakes  were 
worth.  She  replied,  "  two  bits,  massa."  I  accord- 
ingly gave  her  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  which  she  car- 
ried to  her  mistress,  and  probably  saved  herself, 
thereby,  from  a  severe  flogging.  Our  soldiers  were 
entirely  too  careless,  and  paid  but  little  attention  to 
the  words  meutrt  et  tuum. 

While  at  Carrollton,  a  brutal  soldier,  of  company 
K,  stabbed  a  Frenchman  because  he  would  not  let 
him  insult  his  wife  with  impunity.  The  soldier  was 
surrendered  to  the  civil  authorities. 

After  visiting  all  the  principal  places  of  amuse- 
ment in  New  Orleans,  we  were  ordered  on  board  the 
transport  ships,  and  again  set  out  for  the  purpose  of 
joining  the  army  under  Gen.  Taylor. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  15 

Three  companies,  II,  I,  and  K,  were  sent  on  board 
the  transport  ship  Tahraaroo,  Capt.  Sinclair,  under 
command  of  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  and  on  the  7th 
day  of  July  we  were  towed  down  the  Mississippi 
river,  ninety  miles,  outside  of  the  Balize,  by  the  tow- 
boat  Vulcan,  where  we  were  left  to  look  out  for  our- 
selves. Companies  A  and  B,  embarked  on  board 
the  steamship  Ann  Chase ;  companies  C,  D,  and  E, 
on  board  another  vessel,  and  companies  F,  and  G, 
embarked  on  board  the  ship  Jubilee.  There  were 
thirteen  officers  on  board  our  ship,  beside  an  assist- 
ant surgeon,  and  we  managed  to  keep  up  an  excite- 
ment all  the  way  going  across  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
As  we  left  the  lighthouse  at  the  Balize,  I  felt  lone- 
some and  sad,  and  gazed  upon  it  as  it  sunk  in  the 
distance,  with  feelings  of  sorrow.  Every  man  has 
painful  thoughts  at  leaving  home  and  the  land  of  his 
nativity ;  and  when  the  chances  are  that  he  will 
never  see  that  home  or  land  again,  he  gazes  upon 
its  receding  shadow  with  the  most  poignant  feelings. 
Every  rock  and  blade  of  grass  seems  dear  to  him, 
and  he  blesses  with  a  heart's  warm  blessing  his 
native  land. 

Our  negro  cook  had  feasted  us'well  while  at  New 
Orleans,  and  we  had  flattered  ourselves  that  we  should 
at  least  live  wrell  on  the  passage  across ;  but  how 
fleeting  are  human  hopes  !  we  had  no  sooner  got  out 
of  sight  of  land,  than  the  whole  scene  changed.  We 
had  only  salt  junk,  hard  biscuit,  and  brackish  water. 
Indeed,  the  water  could  not  be  drank  at  all,  unless 
mollified  with  tea  or  whisky;  the  latter  plebeian 
drink  was  in  great  demand  among  the  soldiers,  and 
two  Norwegian  sailors  made  small  fortunes  out  of  a 


16  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

barrel  of  it  which  they  had  in  the  caboose.  No  one 
can  tell  the  petty  inconveniences  which  we  suffered, 
and  when  we  add  to  these  the  miseries  of  sea-sick- 
ness, our  condition  was  deplorable.  But  men  must 
and  will  have  some  fun,  and  in  place  of  a  better 
object  to  poke  it  into,  we  commenced  on  our  cook, 
who  wore  monstrous  earrings,  was  half  black,  and 
was  born  in  "Spain,  Malta,  or  hell!"  to  use  the 
words  of  our  Lieut. -Colonel. 

It  was  sometimes  amusing  to  watch  the  maneu- 
vers of  our  soldiers  while  cooking  their  bean  soup, 
on  a  big  fire  aft  of  the  foremast.  The  soldiers  would 
get  their  mess-pans  and  camp-kettles  well  filled,  and 
start  for  a  more  secure  place,  when  a  sudden  lurch  of 
the  ship  would  send  soldiers,  mess-pans,  and  soup, 
flying  into  the  scuppers. 

During  our  passage  down  from  New  Orleans,  Col. 
Dumont  came  very  near  being  drowned.  He  went 
on  board  the  tow-boat,  aft  of  the  wheel,  to  take  a 
shower-bath,  and  while  there  a  sudden  lurch  took  him 
into  the  gulf.  When  he  arose  to  the  surface  the 
tow-boat  was  some  way  from  him,  and  the  broad 
hulk  of  our  ship  was  towering  above  him.  By 
almost  superhuman  exertions  he  gained  the  tow-line 
and  was  held  above  water  by  it,  except  when  the 
rope  would  slack  up,  when  the  Col.  would  be  soused 
under  water  and  come  up  again  nearly  strangled, 
"looking  like  a  freshly  dipped  candle,"  as  Cruik- 
shank  said,  to  the  no  small  edification  of  numerous 
spectators  on  board  the  Tahmaroo.  He  was  finally 
taken  off  by  a  small  boat  amid  the  cheering  of  the 
soldiers,  and  did  not  again  try  his  luck  on  the  slack- 
r-ope. 


CENTRAL,  MEXICO.  17 

After  rolling  about  for  ten  days  on  the  waters  of 
the  Gulf,  and  getting  a  full  understanding  of  such 
marine  curiosities  as  water-spouts,  flying-fish,  and 
Portuguese-men-of-war,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  low 
sand  coast  of  Padres  Island,  and  the  next  day  ran 
down  to  Brazos  Island. 

During  the  time  we  were  at  sea  we  had  consider- 
able sickness  on  board,  and  I  witnessed  the  solemn 
and  impressive  ceremony  of  a  sea-burial.  A  young 
soldier  of  company  H,  named  Randolph,  died.  He 
was  brought  on  deck  and  his  body  was  covered  with 
a  United  States  flag ;  Col.  Dumont  read  the  burial- 
service  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  his  body  was 
consigned  to  the  deep. 

We  dropped  our  anchor  about  a  mile  out  from 
Brazos  de  Santiago,  and  a  steamboat  came  out  to  take 
the  soldiers  in,  heavy  ships  being  unable  to  cross  the 
bar.  I  recollect  that  on  the  boat  which  came  out, 
was  the  first  Mexican  man  I  ever  saw,  and  certainly 
his  appearance  was  not  very  prepossessing.  He  was 
naked  with  the  exception  of  a  broad-brimmed  hat 
and  an  old  pair  of  pantaloons  which  came  up  to  his 
waist.  His  body  presented  a  peculiarly  slick  and 
oily  appearance,  which,  I  presume,  accounts  for  the 
name  "  Greaser,"  which  is  now  almost  universally 
applied  to  Mexicans.  Some  of  our  men  were  very 
indignant  to  think  they  had  been  brought  such  a  dis- 
tance to  fight  such  looking  men,  and  heartily  berated 
Uncle  Sam  for  making  war  against  them.  I  felt  of 
their  opinion,  and  looked  upon  the  Mexican  very 
much  as  I  would  upon  an  orang-outang.  But  this 
view  is  doing  them  injustice.  The  man  we  saw, 
was  a  hand  hired  by  the  Quarter-master  at  the 
2 


18  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Brazos,   where    many    Mexicans    were    employed. 
They  make  good  servants  and  are  generally  faithful. 

We  landed  before  night,  and  stayed  at  the  Brazos 
until  the  next  morning,  when  we  marched  down  the 
sea-beach  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  seven 
miles  distant,  where  we  pitched  onr  tents.  We  were 
the  first  of  our  regiment  that  landed,  and  were 
obliged  to  wait  some  time  for  the  other  companies. 
They  all  arrived  in  safety  except  companies  A  and 
B,  under  Colonel  Gorman,  who  had  a  series  of  mis- 
haps, the  boiler  of  the  steamer  Ann  Chase  having 
exploded,  killing  one  soldier  of  company  A,  named 
Andrew  Deadman,  and  one  sailor,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  put  into  Galveston,  Texas,  for  repairs. 
They  finally  reached  the  Brazos,  and  on  the  23d  of 
July  the  regiment  was  again  in  line  on  the  banks  of 
the  Rio  Grande. 

From  the  18th  of  July  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Colonel,  our  detachment  had  not  much  to  do  except 
keep  ourselves  alive  with  hard  bread  and  river  water. 
We  explored  the  island,  visited  the  wrecks  of  ships 
which  dotted  the  beach,  and  gathered  immense  quan- 
tities of  beautiful  sea-shells.  We  bathed  in  the  river 
and  in  the  Gulf,  taking  care  to  keep  out  of  the  way 
of  sharks  which  infested  the  coast,  and  were  gener- 
ally fortunate  enough  to  come  out  alive.  This  was 
not  the  case  however  with  a  fine  soldier  of  Company 
K,  named  George  B.  Jones,  who  was  drowned. — We 
found  his  body  a  few  days  afterward,  and  buried  it 
with  the  honors  of  war. 

Brazos  Island,  about  seven  miles  long  and  three 

raises  wide,  is  composed  of  large  sandhills,  destitute 

'of  vegetation  and  producing  only  large  quantities  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  1$ 

sand  crabs.  There  is  a  fine  road  along  the  beach  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  which  crosses  the 
Boca  Chica  on  a  bridge.  Point  Isabel  is  three  miles 
distant  from  Brazos  village,  across  the  channel. — 
Here  were  situated  during  the  war,  a  general  hos- 
pital, a  custom-house  and  a  few  storehouses.  At 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  there  was  considerable 
of  a  town,  and  the  sight  of  American  steamboats 
looked  like  home  There  were  a  great  many  boats 
there  undergoing  repairs,  and  the  number  of  work- 
men employed  gave  the  place  a  lively  appearance. 
Directly  opposite  the  American  town  in  the  Mexican 
State  of  Tamaulipas,  was  the  village  of  Bagdad, 
and  while  this  place  had  an  existence  it  probably 
had  no  equal  in  knavery  and  dark  deeds  of  crime. 
It  was  the  haunt  of  robbers  and  desperadoes  who 
were  not  permitted  to  remain  on  the  American  side. 

It  was  while  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  that 
muskets,  bayonets  and  cartridge-boxes  were  distri- 
buted to  the  soldiers  of  our  regiment.  It  was  here 
too  that  I  first  saw  Brigadier-General  Joseph  Lane. 
I  may  admire  Lane  too  much,  and  my  opinion  of 
him  may  be  too  exalted,  but  I  never  knew  that  old 
soldier  to  do  a  mean  action  or  stoop  to  anything  low. 
When  I  first  saw  him  bis  career  had  but  commenced, 
he  had  been  at  the  great  battle  of  Buena  Vista, 
where  his  arm  was  shattered  by  a  ball,  and  had  re- 
ceived considerable  praise  but  he  was  still  compara- 
tively an  unknown  man. 

General  Lane  was  born  in  the  State  of  North  Car- 
olina in  the  year  1801,  and  three  years  afterward  his 
father  emigrated  to  Kentucky.  He  remained  in  that 
State  some  years  when  he  removed  to  Indiana.  He 

i 


20  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

served  in  the  House  of  Representatives  and  Senate 
of  Indiana,  and  when  the  Mexican  war  broke  out 
left  the  senate  and  was  appointed  by  President  Polk, 
a  Brigadier-General.  Had  General  Lane  been  al- 
lowed to  have  his  own  way  at  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista,  there  would  never  have  been  any  stiguia  upon 
the  2d  Indiana  regiment.  Lane  was  forty -six  years  of 
age  when  I  first  saw  him,  stout,  robust  and  hearty, 
and  at  all  times  ready  for  a  fight  or  a  frolic.  The 
men  of  his  brigade  loved  him,  and  a  tender  chord 
could  always  be  touched,  by  speaking  to  them  of 
him.  I  shall  mention  him  frequently  in  this  work, 
and  show  how  gallantly  he  obtained  his  brevet  rank 
of  major-general. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  I  saw  a  party  of 
Mexican  herdsmen,  one  day,  catching  cattle  with  a 
lasso.  This  mode  of  catching  cattle  and  horses  is 
now  well  understood  in  this  country,  though  but 
comparatively  few  have  seen  the  Mexicans  engaged 
at  it.  Their  motions  are  as  quick  as  thought,  and 
they  make  a  picturesque  scene  riding  over  the  prai- 
ries, with  their  broad-brimmed  sombreros  set  well 
back  on  their  heads,  and  loose  blankets  fluttering  in 
the  breeze. 

After  we  had  received  our  muskets,  etc.,  we  com- 
menced drilling  in  earnest,  and  "  from  early  morn 
till  dewy  eve,"  the  officers  were  busily  engaged 
teaching  the  men  the  manual  exercise.  We  were 
all  anxious  to  learn,  not  knowing  how  soon  we 
should  be  called  upon  to  go  into  battle — old  soldiers 
brought  a  high  premium,  and  the  few  Prussians  that 
were  with  us  were  made  to  do  good  service  as  fu°-le- 
men.  Dress-parade  was  a  thing  as  yet  unthought 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  21 

of,  nor  did  our  men  learn  to  go  through  it  correctly 
until  after  we  had  been  some  time  at  the  school  of 
instruction. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  24th  the  order  was 
giv.en  to  strike  tents  and  sling  knapsacks.  This  order 
was  promptly  obeyed  by  our  boys,  who  had  become 
tired  of  our  encampment  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  we  marched  merrily  on  board  the  steam- 
boat Big  Hatchee.  About  10  o'clock  the  band  struck 
up  a  lively  air.  the  boiler  commenced  puffing  and 
soon  we  were  plowing  our  way  up  the  crooked  river. 
There  were  three  companies  on  board,  and  this  time 
our  detachment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Gorman. 
Among  the  passengers  was  2d  Lieut.  George  Patton, 
3d  artillery,  who  was  on  his  way  up  to  Monterey  to 
join  Bragg's  battery.  The  first  day  we  passed 
Burita,  a  poor  village  built  of  mud  and  sticks,  and 
had  a  distant  view  of  Palo  Alto  and  Eesaca  de  la 
Palma  battle-fields. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  came  in  sight  of  the  town 
of  Matamoros,  where  Col.  Brough  with  the  4th  regi- 
ment of  Ohio  volunteers  was  stationed,  and  passed  on 
without  stopping.  The  town  presented  a  fine  ap- 
pearance from  the  river,  surrounded  as  it  is  with 
orange  and  fig  groves.  Directly  opposite  to  Mata- 
moros is  Fort  Brown,  a  good  fortification,  but  a  most 
desolate  and  dreary-looking  place.  "We  stopped 
about  five  miles  above  Matamoros,  on  the  Texas  side 
of  the  river,  and  stayed  there  all  night.  The  men 
bivouacked  on  the  prairie  in  the  clear  light  of  the 
moon.  The  officers  regaled  themselves  with  sardines 
and  champagne  and  altogether  we  had  a  very  com- 
fortable night  of  it. 


22  GEN.  LAKE'S  BBIGADE  IN 

The  next  day  we  continued  our  way  slowly  up  the 
river,  and  before  dark  reached  Kosario  ranche 
•where  we  laid  up  for  the  night.  Preparations  were 
immediately  made  to  have  a  fandango;  and  the 
Mexican  girls  at  the  ranche  fitted  themselves  up  in 
their  best  apparel.  A  number  of  young  Mexicans 
came  in  on  horseback,  bringing  their  girls  with 
them;  the  girls  rode  in  front  of  the  men  on  the  same 
horse,  and  generally  wore  their  hats  while  riding, 
the  men  tying  handkerchiefs  round  their  own  heads. 
I  never  saw  a  Mexican  woman  wear  a  bonnet. 

After  our  soldiers  had  eaten  their  suppers,  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  cane  houses  was  cleared  off, 
and  the  fandango  commenced  in  first-rate  style.  Man- 
dolins and  guitars  were  the  musical  instruments  used, 
and  their  melodious  tinkling  sounded  sweetly  in  the 
quiet  evening.  There  was  a  fine  moonlight  which 
reached  us  through  the  waving  branches  of  the  palm 
trees,  and  we  danced  merrily,  until  our  drums  beat 
the  retreat  at  nine  o'clock.  Even  then  we  lingered, 
and  sat  up  until  a  late  hour  enjoying  the  beauties  of 
the  scene.  Our  soldiers  were  stretched  about  under 
the  trees,  telling  stories  and  singing  songs  in  a  quiet 
way,  while  our  sentinels  were  keeping  an  unwearied 
watch  around.  All  in  all,  I  think  the  night  at 
Rosario  ranche  was  one  of  the  happiest  of  my  life. 

The  following  morning  we  resumed  our  journey 
up  the  river.  All  along  the  banks  there  is  a  thick 
growth  of  thorny  bushes,  called  by  the  Mexicans 
chappar&l,  composed  of  rosewood,  musquite,  ebony, 
Spanish  dagger,  prickly  pear,  etc.  Ranches  are 
numerous  and  consist  for  the  most  part  of  poorly  con- 
structed cane  huts,  with  thatched  roofs.  There  are 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  23 

some  good  buildings,  but  as  a  general  thing  they 
cannot  compare  with  the  haciendas  of  Central  Mex- 
ico. The  inhabitants  are  halt-breeds  and  Indians, 
who  go  about,  half  starved,  half  naked  and  half 
asleep. 

The  third  night  we  stopped  at  Santa  Anna  ranche, 
where  we  found  the  Mexicans  cross  and  crabbed. 
Col.  Gorman  had  no  love  for  them  and  put  one  inso- 
lent fellow  in  irons.  "We  had  a  pretty  severe  scuffle 
with  him,  and  some  of  our  men  gave  him  rough 
treatment.  After  all  was  quiet  at  night,  and  I  lay 
sound  asleep  on  the  forecastle  of  the  boat,  I  was  sud- 
denly awakened  by  the  clangor  of  our  drums  beating 
the  long  roll,  and  hurriedly  putting  on  my  clothes,  I 
joined  my  company,  which  was  already  formed  on 
the  bank.  The  Mexicans  were  reported  to  be  close 
upon  us,  under  command  of  old  Canales.  Our  de- 
tachment was  formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  we  waited 
some  time  for  the  attack.  No  one  appearing  we 
marched  out  some  distance  to  discover  the  Mexicans 
if  there  were  any,  and  found  that  the  whole  disturb- 
ance had  been  caused  by  a  drove  of  wild  mustangs 
running  through  a  canebrake  near  by.  They  made 
considerable  uproar,  and  the  officer  of  the  guard  sup- 
posed the  Mexicans  were  close  upon  him.  We  were 
soon  after  sound  asleep  again. 

The  afternoon  following  we  reached  the  town  of 
Reynoso.  This  town  is  situated  on  a  high  rocky 
point,  and  the  church  on  the  hill  reminds  one  of  an 
old-fashioned  castle.  The  town  contains  a  popula- 
tion of  about  1500.  We  encamped  here  two  days, 
and  had  a  pleasant  fandango.  It  was  garrisoned  by 
a  company  of  the  16th  regiment  of  infantry. 


'24  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

We  again  started  up  the  river  on  board  the  steam- 
boat Rio  Bravo  del  Norte.  Companies  A  and  I 
being  on  board  under  Major  McCoy.  Captain  John 
M.  Wallace,  a  brother  of  ex-governor  David  Wal- 
lace, commanded  company  A.  We  had  a  most  dis- 
tressed time  getting  along,  on  account  of  the  numer- 
ous sandbars  in  the  river,  and  were  frequently 
obliged  to  jump  overboard  to  lighten  the  boat.  The 
third  morning  we  reached  Carnargo,  the  military 
depot  of  the  Upper  Rio  Grande.  Here  we  en- 
camped on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  San  Juan,  a  small 
stream  which  empties  into  the  Rio  Grande  below 
Camargo.  This  river  rises  in  the  State  of  Coalmila 
and  the  water  of  it  is  the  most  disgusting  I  ever 
tasted.  It  is  of  a  green  color  and  I  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  drinking  it.  I  recollect  one  soldier,  who 
drank  a  considerable  quantity  of  it,  and  then  re- 
marked to  his  messmate  that  he  was  obliged  to  force 
it  down.  "No  matter  for  that,"  replied  the  other, 
dryly,  "you  seem  to  force  down  a  d—d  sight  of  it  at 
all  events." 

At  Carnargo  I  saw  some  military  engineering  in 
the  Plaza,  which,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  was  unique. 
The  ditches  or  trenches  were  cut  inside  of  the  walls 
of  the  fortification.  A  celebrated  General  was  said 
to  have  originated  this  novel  style  of  building  forts, 
but  with  how  much  truth  I  cannot  say. 

We  stayed  at  Camargo  one  day,  and  then  our  re- 
giment started  out  on  foot  for  the  school  of  instruc- 
tion at  Mier.  We  marched  the  first  day,  to  the  Nine 
mile  ranche  where  we  stayed  over-night.  This  was 
the  first  marching  we  had  done,  and  it  fatigued  us 
greatly.  On  the  following  day  we  reached  the  camp- 


CENTBAL  MEXICO.  25 

ground,  situated  three  miles  this  side  of  Mier,  and 
immediately  cleared  off  a  large  space  of  ground  for 
our  tents  and  parade-ground. 

There  were  three  infantry  regiments  at  this  place 
beside  ours.  The  three  regiments  were  a  part  of  the 
ten  regiments,  which  had  lately  been  added  to  the 
regular  army,  by  order  of  Congress,  to  serve  during 
the  war.  The  10th  regiment  of  infantry  was  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Temple,  the  13th  by  Colonel 
Echolls,  and  the  16th  by  Colonel  Tibbatts.  The 
whole  camp  was  under  command  of  Brigadier- 
General  Hopping,  who  was  very  sick,  assisted  by 
that  noble  old  soldier  Brevet  Colonel  William  G. 
•Belknap,  of  the  8th  regiment  of  infantry. 

General  Hopping  was  sick  most  of  the  time  we 
were  there,  and  died  about  the  time  the  encampment 
was  broken  up.  Colonel  Belknap  instructed  the 
officers  of  the  regiment  each  day  in  infantry  tactics, 
and  I  always  took  great  delight  in  reciting  my  lessons 
from  Scott's  Tactics,  to  him. 

I  have  reason  to  think  that  I  was  one  of  his  favor- 
ite scholars,  and  though  he  was  sometimes  rather 
brusque  in  his  manners,  I  always  entertained  the 
highest  regard  for  him.  He  died  in  the  autumn  of 
1851,  a  Brevet  Brigadier-General. 

At  the  school  of  instruction  our  regiment  made 
rapid  progress  in  discipline,  and  became  skillful  in 
the  different  battalion  movements.  "We  drilled  by 
companies  every  morning  for  two  hours,  and  attended 
dress-parade  at  six  o'clock  each  evening.  On  dress- 
parade  our  regiment  presented  a  fine  appearance  and 
was  much  larger  than  either  of  the  regular  regiments. 
First  Lieut.  Cole  was  our  Adjutant,  and  he  with  the 
3 


26  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Colonel,  used  every  exertion  to  have  us  appear  well. 
Adjutant  Cole  was  a  New  Yorker  by  birth,  and 
served  with  the  militia  of  New  York  at  the  battle  of 
Plattsburgh,  in  1814,  as  sergeant.  He  was  subse- 
quently major-general  of  one  of  the  artillery  divisions 
of  the  N.  Y.  State  militia.  He  was  a  simple- 
hearted  and  kind  man. 

I  frequently  visited  the  encampment  of  the  regu- 
lars, and  found  some  friends  from  New  York  in  the 
10th  regiment.  Among  these  I  particularly  recol- 
lect Lieut. McGown  and  Lieut.  Johnson;  the  former 
from  Albany,  and  the  latter  from  Utica.  They  were 
both  first-rate  companionable  fellows.  Lieut.  John- 
eon's  brother,  Arthur  B.  Johnson,  I  subsequently 
became  acquainted  with  at  Geneva  college,  in  New 
York,  and  when  we  were  together  we  were  emphati- 
cally "pretty  fast  young  men." 

At  the  sutler's  store,  on  the  camp-ground,  the  offi- 
cers frequently  assembled  in  the  evening,  for  social 
enjoyment.  Major  Winfield,  of  Texas,  and  Captain 
Michael  Fitsgibbon,  of  our  regiment,  were  our  best 
singers,  and  were  generally  pressed  into  the  service, 
nolens  volens.  The  song  which  elicited  the  greatest 
amount  of  admiration,  was  one  Winfield  used  to  sing, 
called  "  The  Texan  Ranger's  Song."  It  was  indeed 
a  beautiful  thing,  and  I  cannot  do  better  than  insert 
it  in  this  place: 

THEf  RANGER'S  SOXG.— Air:   "I'M  AFLOAT." 
By  James  T.  Lytle. 

i. 

Mount !  mount !  and  away  o'er  the  green  prairie  wide— 
The  sword  is  our  scepter,  the  fleet  steed  our  pride  ; 
Up  !  up !  with  our  flag — let  its  bright  star  gleam  out — 
Mount !  mount !  and  away  011  the  wild  border-scout  f 


CENTRAL   MEXICO.  27 

IT. 

We  care  not  for  danger,  we  heed  not  the  foe — 
Where  our  brave  steeds  bear  us,  right  onward  we  go, 
And  never,  as  cowards,  can  we  fly  from  the  fight, 
While  our  belts  bear  a  blade,  or  our  star  sheds  its  light. 

HI. 

Then  mount,  and  away  !   give  the  fleet  steed  the  reiu — 
The  Ranger's  at  home  on  the  prairies  again  ; 
Spur  !  spur  in  the  chase,  dash  on  to  the  fight, 
Cry  Vengeance  for  Texas  !  and  God  speed  the  right. 

IV. 

The  might  of  the  foe  gathers  thick  on  our  way — 
They  hear  our  wild  shout  as  we  rush  to  the  fray  ; 
What  to  us  is  the  fear  of  the  death-stricken  plain — 
We  have  "  braved  it  before,  and  will  brave  it  again." 

v. 

The  death-dealing  bullets  around  us  may  fall — 
They  may  strike,  they  may  kill,  but  they  cannot  appal  ; 
Through  the  red  field  of  carnage  right  onward  we'll  wade, 
While  our  guns  carry  ball,  and  our  hands  wield  the  blade. 

VI. 

Hurrah,  my  brave  boys  !  ye  may  fare  as  ye  please, 
No  Mexican  banner  now  floats  in  the  breeze  I 
'Tis  the  flag  of  Columbia  that  waves  o'er  each  height, 
While  on  its  proud  folds  our  star  sheds  its  light. 

VII. 

Then  mount  and  away!  give  the  fleet  steed  the  rein — 
The  Ranger's  at  home  on  the  prairies  again  ; 
Spur !  spur  in  the  chase,  dash  on  to  the  fight, 
Cry  Vengeance  for  Texas !  and  God  speed  the  right. 

Winfield  was  an  old  ranger,  though  a  young  man, 
and  felt  as  though  again  on  the  chase  while  singing 
this  song. 

The  town  of  Mier  was  the  scene  of  one  of  the    \ 
bloodiest  battles  fought  during  the  Texan  revolution. 
It  occurred  in  the  year  1842.     The  Mexicans  were 
under  command  of  General  Ampudia,  and  the  Tex- 


28  GEN.   LAKE'S  BRIGADE   ist 

ans  under  Colonel  Fisher.  After  a  warm  fight  the 
whole  Texan  force  was  taken  prisoners,  and  sent  to 
the  city  of  Mexico.  On  the  way  thither,  the  Texans 
attempted  to  get  away  from  their  captors,  ibr  which 
the  command  was  decimated ;  that  is,  every  tenth 
one  shot,  by  order  of  Santa  Anna.  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  two  or  three  men  who  were  engaged 
in  this  expedition,  and  they  all  bore  the  most  intense 
hatred  to  the  Mexicans. 

The  town  of  Mier  is  situated  on  the  Rio  Alcantro, 
about  three  miles  above  its  confluence  with  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  contains  over  five  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  women  of  this  place  are  celebrated  for  their  man- 
ufacture of  Mexican  blankets.  The  finest  I  ever  saw 
were  here,  and  they  are  sometimes  of  great  value. 

"  Jack  Everett,"  a  noted  Texan,  resided  in  Mier, 
and  on  being  asked  what  he  followed  for  a  living, 
replied,  "I'm  keeping  tavern  like  hell."  This  was 
true,  and  I  have  frequently  stopped  at  his  "tavern." 
There  are  a  great  many  anecdotes  told  of  Jack,  but 
he  being  deaf,  pays  very  little  attention  to  them.  I 
also  saw  another  notable  of  Texas  while  at  Mier, 
which  was  no  other  than  General  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar, 
ex-president  of  the  republic,  who  was  commanding 
at  the  time  a  company  of  Texan  Rangers. 

I  spent  very  little  time  in  town,  indeed  there  was 
nothing  in  it  particularly  attractive,  and  I  preferred 
being  with  my  own  men  learning  the  infantry  exer- 
cise. Our  camp  was  pretty  well  supplied  with  pro- 
visions and  the  officers  all  messed  together.  Mo- 
lasses, bread,  and  onions,  formed  the  staple  articles 
of  diet,  but  these  were  sometimes  interspersed  with 
melons,  figs,  fresh  beef,  kid,  and  lamb,  which  were 


CENTRAL   MEXICO.  29 

brought  into  camp  by  the  Mexicans  on  the  backs  of 
diminutive  donkeys. 

Near  the  camp  was  a  fine  mineral  spring  where 
we  bathed  often,  and  kept  in  good  health.  Our  sick 
men  were  carried  off  to  Mier,  where  there  was  a  hos- 
pital, though  some  of  them  were  kept  in  a  large  hos- 
pital tent  on  the  camp-ground.  At  this  place  I  first 
Mt  that  peculiar  sensation,  I  can  hardly  call  it  dis- 
ease, called  "  prickly-heat."  It  is  very  disagreeable, 
and  feels  as  though  a  million  needles  were  sticking 
into  the  skin  at  once.  I  was  also  sick  with  an  attack 
of  Hepatitis.  The  soldiers  of  the  13th  regiment  of 
infantry  died  in  swarms.  Our  regiment  was  more 
fortunate,  and  our  company  lost  but  one  man  while 
at  this  place,  which  was  our  old  drummer,  named 
John  Crooks.  He  was  wrapped  up  in  a  blanket,  as 
we  had  no  coffins,  and  buried  in  the  sand.  A  vol- 
ley of  musketry  was  fired  over  his  grave,  and  "  the 
dust  returned  to  the  earth  as  it  was ;  and  the  spirit 
returned  unto  God  who  gave  it."  Private  Harlan, 
company  A,  also  died.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  Hon. 
Andrew  J.  Harlan,  member  of  congress  from  Indi- 
ana. It  was  a  sad  sight  to  see  so  many  poor  fellows 
buried,  away  from  their  homes  and  kindred,  and 
when  I  thought  how  soon  after  we  left,  the  wild 
chapparel  would  be  growing  over  their  graves,  and 
the  last  trace  obliterated,  I  sent  up  a  silent  prayer  to 
God  that  my  body  might  never  be  buried  on  foreign 
soil.  The  land  of  Columbia  I  love,  and  there  let 
me  die. 

The  regiment  bands  served  while  at  the  encamp- 
ment to  enliven  us  up,  and  each  evening  formed  in 
front  of  their  respective  regiments  and  performed 


30  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

some  brilliant  airs.  "Love  Not  Quickstep"  was  my 
favorite  piece  of  music,  and  I  have  actually  seen 
tears  course  down  the  rough  cheeks  of  our  soldiers 
while  the  bands  were  playing  it. 

A  Mexican  boy  was  murdered  near  the  camp — 
which  act  was  laid  upon  the  shoulders  of  some  Mex- 
icans— but  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  was  done  by  some 
rascally  soldiers.  He-  had  been  shot  and  afterward 
had  his  throat  cut  from  ear  to  ear.  His  body  was 
found  lying  on  the  side  of  the  road. 

General  Lane  left  us  shortly  after  we  reached  Mier, 
to  visit  General  Taylor  at  Monterey.  On  his  way 
tip,  his  party,  fifteen  strong,  had  a  tight  with  fifty 
Mexicans,  under  General  Canales.  Lane  gave  them 
a  good  whipping  and  recaptured  a  large  amount  of 
plunder  which  they  had  taken  from  an  American 
citizen  named  Maynard,  who  was  killed  in  the  skir- 
mish. A  citizen  of  New  Orleans,  named  Phelps, 
secretary  to  General  Lane,  had  a  ball  pass  through 
his  hat,  which  slightly  grazed  his  scalp. 

Alacrans,  lizards,  centipedes,  scorpions,  chame- 
lions,  snakes,  and  horned  frogs,  literally  swarmed  in 
our  encampment.  I  was  stung  by  a  scorpion  in  the 
toe,  which  fortunately  did  not,  as  is  commonly  sup- 
posed, prove  fatal.  The  facts  are  these:  I  retired 
to  my  couch  one  night,  which  couch  was  made  of 
barrel  staves,  resting  on  poles,  supported  by  crotches, 
with  a  blanket  thrown  over  them,  and  rested  well 
thereon  until  morning,  thinking  how  nicely  I  had 
cheated  the  lizards  out  of  running  across  my  face, 
(which  by  the  way  they  had  frequently  done  before 
I  got  my  patent  bedstead),  when  the  drums  beat  the 
reveille,  and  I  jumped  up  and  pulled  on  my  boot. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  3i 

A  scorpion  which  had  been  resting  quietly  therein, 
gave  me  a  terrible  sting  in  my  toe,  his  sting  being 
located  in  the  end  of  his  tail.  I  pulled  off  my  boot 
instanter,  shook  out  the  hideous-looking  reptile,  and 
dispatched  him.  My  toe  turned  perfectly  whit 
and  swelled  up  considerably.  I  became  somewhat 
alarmed,  and  Lieut.  Gary,  who  was  a  very  fast  talker, 
passing  by  my  tent  at  the  time,  asked  me  what  was  the 
matter.  I  told  him  I  had  been  stung.  He  looked  at 
my  toe,  and  instantly  prescribed  as  follows:  "Brandy, 
Brackett  —  brandy!  d — n  you  drink  plenty  of 
brandy." 

I  immediately  went  to  the  sutler's  store,  when  I 
followed  his  prescription  to  the  letter,  and  by  noon 
the  swelling  and  pain  had  entirely  disappeared. 

Our  encampment  was  well  conducted  and  every- 
thing wore  a  quiet  appearance.  Drilling,  eating  and 
guard  mounting,  were  the  principal  occupations,  and 
I  am  free  to  admit  that  we  learned  to  go  through 
them  with  great  credit.  Our  appearance,  when  off 
duty,  was  anything  but  martial,  owing  to  the  intense 
heat  of  the  weather.  When  not  on  guard  or  drilling 
I  threw  Uncle  Sam's  blue  uniform  frock-coat,  and 
my  handsome  foraging  cap,  in  the  corner  of  my  tent, 
and  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  very  coarse  pair  of  tow 
pantaloons,  a  red  calico  shirt,  and  a  very  high- 
crowned  and  broad-brimmed  Mexican  hat.  Whether 
my  appearance  was  becoming  to  a  first  lieutenant  in 
the  United  States,  service,  I  leave  my  readers  to 
judge. 

General  Lane  came  down  from  Monterey  on,  th,e 
22d  of.  August,  and  brought  orders  for  the  encamp- 
ment to  be  broken  up,  from  General  Taylor.  We 


32  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

were  soon  busy  making  preparations  for  our  depar- 
ture, but  ere  we  set  out  we  had  a  grand  time  at  the 
sutler's  store.  Majors  Norvell  and  Talbott  of  the 
16th  were  present,  and  a  vast  number  of  champagne 
bottles  were  decapitated.  That  party  was  one  of  the 
richest  scenes  I  ever  witnessed,  and  forcibly  reminded 
me  of  some  of  those  social  gatherings  which  are  so 
graphically  described  in  "Charley  O'Malley,  the 
Irish  Dragoon."  Wit  and  wine  flowed  fast,  and 
toasts  were  drank  to  the  fair  ones  at  Irome, — to  his 
Excellency  the  President,  and  to  the  army  generally. 
To  eat  bean-soup  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  was  the 
highest  ambition  of  most  of  our  officers,  and  some 
of  us  had  the  pleasure  of  doing  so.  The  Halls  of 
the  Montezumas  were  vociferously  toasted,  and 
many  a  wish  was  registered  that  we  might  help  to 
open  the  gates  of  the  proud  city  of  the  Aztecs. 

After  receiving  orders  from  General  Taylor  to 
break  up  the  encampment,  we  were  until  the  24th  of 
August  getting  ready.  On  that  day  the  10th  regi- 
ment of  infantry  was  sent  to  garrison  the  towns  on 
the  Rio  Grande ;  the  16th  was  sent  on  up  to  the  city 
of  Monterey ;  and  the  13th  regiment,  being  a  por- 
tion of  General  Caleb  Cushing's  brigade,  was 
ordered  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

Our  tents  were  all  struck  at  once,  and  were  soon 
after  safely  stowed  away  in  the  baggage-wagons. 
The  men  formed  with  their  knapsacks  on,  and  march- 
ing by  platoons  in  column,  with  our  music  playing 
and  colors  flying,  we  left  the  camp-ground  of  the 
"School  of  instruction  at  Mier." 

While  on  the  Rio  Grande  I  had  frequent  opportu- 
nities of  witnessing  that  strange  phenomenon  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  33 

nature  called  mirage,  which  is  an  optical  illusion 
produced  by  a  refraction  of  the  atmosphere,  or  devi- 
ation from  a  direct  course  of  the  rays  of  light,  caus- 
ing a  person  to  think  he  sees  in  the  distance,  beauti- 
ful lakes,  groves  of  trees,  houses  and  men  on  horse- 
back. 

Our  men  were  at  first  so  positive  they  saw  good 
water  off  at  a  distance,  that  they  started  out  fully  ex- 
pecting to  return  with  their  canteens  well  filled.  But 
the  lake  receded  before  them,  and  after  traveling 
rniles,  they  were  no  nearer  to  it  than  when  they 
started.  It  was  an  every-day  sight,  and  after  awhila 
ceased  to  attract  the  least  attention. 

We  marched  from  Mier  to  Camargo,  where  we 
found  a  large  empty  train  going  down  to  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  which  our  regiment  was  ordered  to  es- 
cort down.  The  train  numbered  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  wagons,  each  wagon  being  drawn  by  four 
or  six  mules.  Every  man  rode,  and  we  had  a  jovial 
time. 

When  we  reached  Reynosa,  the  captain  of  our 
company  was  sick  and  I  was  ordered  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  men  and  go  down  the  river  on  board  a 
steamboat ;  the  rest  of  the  regiment  continuing 
with  the  train.  Accordingly  I  marched  my  company 
aboard  the  boat  and  sailed  down  the  river.  The 
captain  of  the  craft  was  Ed.  Anderson  of  Tennessee, 
who  had  served  as  aid-de-camp  to  General  Pillow, 
at  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo.  He  was  full  of  fun 
and  anecdote,  and  made  the  trip  a  very  pleasant  one. 
At  Matamoros  I  reported  myself  to  Col.  William 
Davenport  of  the  1st  infantry,  who  ordered  me  to 


34  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

proceed  with  'my  company  to  the  mouth,  and  there 
await  the  arrival  of  the  remainder  of  our  regiment. 

I  had  one  night  and  one  forenoon  to  look  round 
Matamoros,  which  has  very  much  the  appearance  of 
an  American  city.  Fort  Paredes  is  on  the  Mexican 
side,  and  is  considerably  above  Fort  Brown.  On 
the  south-east  side  of  the  Plaza  stands  the  Cathe- 
dral, which  is  unfinished,  and  received  some  balls 
from  Fort  Brown  during  the  bombardment.  The 
houses  on  the  other  side  of  the  Plaza  are  generally 
two  stories  high,  and  well  built.  There  was  a  de- 
tachment of  the  3d  regiment  of  dragoons  in  town 
under  command  of  Colonel  Edward  G.  W.  Butler. 

From  Matamoros  I  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Rio  Grande,  where  I  encamped  with  my  company. 
Second  Lieut.  Allard  and  Sergeant  Charles  W. 
Lewis,  with  a  party  of  our  soldiers,  missed  the  boat, 
and  were  obliged  to  walk  down  the  bank  of  the  river. 
They  had  no  provisions,  and  slept  on  the  prairie 
near  the  Resaca  battle-field.  In  the  morning  they 
went  to  a  ranche,  where,  in  spite  of  the  Mexicans, 
they  procured  something  to  eat.  I  was  glad  to  see 
them  come  into  camp,  as  we  did  not  know  but  they 
were  all  killed. 

A  few  days  after  our  arrival  the  rest  of  the  regi- 
ment reached  the  mouth  of  the  river.  During  the 

O 

time  we  were  here  a  number  of  circumstances 
occurred  which  served  to  keep  us  alive  and  effectually 
drive  off  ennui. 

The  clothing  of  the  volunteers  having  become 
dirty  and  ragged,  and,  withal  "  a  little  buggy,"  they 
were  ordered  to  dress  themselves  in  new  and  clean 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  35 

suits  of  uniform,  which  was  sky-blue,  and  the  same 
that  is  worn  by  the  regular  soldiers  of  our  army. 
As  this  matter  was  trenching  upon  their  pockets  it 
required  some  time  to  make  them  submit.  It  was 
all  the  talk  in  camp,  and  the  volunteers  expressed 
their  huge  indignation  in  various  ways.  "I'll  be 
blowed  if  they  make  a  regular  of  me,"  says  one ; 
"Let  'em  go  to  h — 11,  with  their  sky-blue,"  said 
another;  while  another  stood  by  devoutly  cursing 
himself  for  ever  having  become  "a  seven  dollar  tar- 
get," meaning  thereby,  a  soldier.  They  were  all  of 
opinion  that  old  Zack  Taylor  never  ordered  such  a 
thing  done,  and  were  bitter  in  their  wrath  against 
the  officers.  Finally  they  took  the  new  uniforms 
and  were  afterward  very  proud  of  them.  I  wore 
the  uniform  myself,  and  never  considered  myself  dis- 
graced by  wearing  "Uncle  Sam's  sky-blue."  The 
only  trouble  was  our  lack  of  tailors,  as  the  uniforms 
were  all  of  one  size.  They  fitted  our  small  men  like 
"sentry  boxes,"  and  our  big  men  always  put  me  in 
mind  of  the  pictures  of  poor  Oliver  Twist.  When 
these  uniforms  were  partly  worn  out,  on  the  other 
line,  and  were  "  half  soled"  with  red  flannel,  they 
were  truly  interesting  specimens  of  morbid  anatomy. 
Colonel  Charles  II.  Brough  came  down  from  Mat- 
amoros  with  the  4th  regiment  of  Ohio  volunteers, 
and  encamped  near  us.  This  regiment  was  with 
ours  during  the  whole  war,  and  we  always  hailed 
each  other  as  brothers.  A  better  regiment  was  not 
in  service  in  Mexico.  "Lane's  brigade  was  made  up 
of  this  regiment,  our  own,  and  Jack  Hays's"  Texan 
Rangers.  The  latter  corps  did  not  join  us  until  we 
got  on  Scott's  line. 


36  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Some  of  Gen.  Cushing's  officers  observed  to  Col. 
Brough,  that  he  had  better  not  go  down  to  the  Brazos 
as  there  were  no  transports  ready  for  Vera  Cruz,  and 
he  would  be  obliged  to  encamp  on  the  sand.  Brough 
replied,  "Ah,  gentlemen,  you  may  repose  on  your 
Gushing  but  we  will  follow  our  Lane." 

Our  sick  men  were  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Point 
Isabel. — Transports  arrived  at  the  Brazos,  and  being 
of  light  draft  crossed  the  bar,  and  everything  was 
made  ready  for  our  departure  for  Vera  Cruz.  The 
12th  day  of  September  we  struck  our  tents  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  marched  to  Brazos 
village. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Departure  for  Vera  Cruz — Dolphins — Vera  Cruz — Visit  to  the 
City — Castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa — Officers  of  the  brigade — 
Edward  Gilbert — Killed  in  a  Duel — Leave  Vera  Cruz — Lieut. 
Cullman's  death — Guerrilla  fight — Lieut.  Cline  killed — National 
Bridge — Jalapa — Major  Lally's  Command. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  12th,  two  companies,  H 
and  I,  embarked  on  board  the  IT.  S.  steamship  Sec- 
retary Mason,  under  command  of  Major  McCoy,  to 
join  the  force  under  General  Scott,  which  was  inva- 
ding Mexico  under  the  name  of  the  "  Army  of  Inva- 
sion ;"  the  army  under  General  Taylor,  which  we 
had  just  left,  being  called  "the  Army  of  Occupation." 
We  left  the  Brazos  and  crossed  the  bar  about  night- 
fall, and  were  followed  shortly  after,  by  the  other 
companies  of  the  regiment  in  steamships.  The  4th 
Ohio  regiment  also  embarked  for  the  same  destina- 
tion. 

On  board  the  Secretary  Mason  were  the  following 
officers,  viz: — Major  McCoy,  Captains  Cochran  and 
Travel,  Adjutant  Cole,  1st  Lieut.  Brackett,  2d  Lieuts. 
Mullen,  Allard,  Lee  and  Barber.  We  were  a  pretty 
jovial  set  in  the  cabin,  and  the  voyage  across  was 
much  more  pleasant  than  when  aboard  the  ship 
Tahmaroo. 

The  warm  clear  nights  in  the  tropics,  were  de- 
lightful, and  we  never  retired  to  our  berths  'till  very 

(37) 


38  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

late.  A  regular  guard  was  kept  on  board  and  the 
discipline  which  prevailed  was  admirable.  While 
on  board  I  spent  hours,  at  night,  leaning  over  the 
bulwarks,  watching  the  phosphorescent  appearance 
of  the  water  as  it  dashed  up  in  great  sheets  of  fire 
against  the  sides  of  our  craft,  thinking  the  while  of 

O  7  O 

friends  at  home  and  building  castles  for  the  future. 
We  spun  many  long  yarns  and  held  many  arguments 
respecting  the  merits  of  our  superior  officers. 

One  day  as  we  were  moving  along  through  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Gulf,  our  steamer  throwing  back 
long  lines  of  dark  smoke  from  her  chimnies,  a  sail 
was  discovered  far  off  close  to  the  horizon,  which 
the  captain  of  our  craft  determined  to  overhaul. 
In  an  hour  we  came  up  with  her,  and  she  proved  to 
be  a  brig  bound  for  Campeachy.  The  crew  was  all 
Spanish  and  they  were  dressed  in  red  woolen  caps, 
linen  shirts  and  pants  and  were  the  most  villainous 
looking  fellows  in  the  face  I  ever  saw. — I  would  have 
bet  high  that  they  were  Pirates.  We  let  them  go 
without  molestation,  and  they  appeared  to  be  relieved 
when  sailing  out  of  sight  of  the  blue  jackets  of  our 
men. 

A  shoal  of  porpoises  followed  our  ship,  and  one  of 
the  soldiers  for  mischief  shot  one  of  them  through 
with  a  musket  ball.  The  ball  no  sooner  struck  him 
than  the  poor  fellow  leaped  completely  out  of  water 
with  a  crimson  jet  of  blood  spurting  from  his  side. 
He  fell  back,  and  his  fellows  getting  a  taste  of  his 
blood,  instantly  commenced  upon  him  and  devoured 
him.  A  dolphin  was  also  caught  by  one  of  tho 
sailors;  he  baited  a  hook  with  a  bit  of  shining  metal, 
so  that  it  might  resemble  the  glitter  of  the  wings 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  39 

and  body  of  a  flying-fish,  of  which  the  dolphins  are 
very  fond,  and  dropped  it  into  the  sea.  The  dol- 
phin no  sooner  got  a  glimpse  of  the  deceitful  bait 
than  he  made  a  sudden  dart  upon  it  and  was  safely 
drawn  on  board.  He  lay  on  deck,  and  as  he  was 
dying  some  of  the  most  gaudy  and  beautiful  colors 
I  ever  saw,  shifted  and  shimmered  over  his  body. 
The  poet  Falconer  gives  a  beautiful  description  of 
the  dying  dolphin.  He  says : 

"What  radiant  changes  strike  th'  astonish 'd  sight ! 
What  glowing  hues  of  mingled  shiide  and  light ! 
Not  equal  beauties  gild  the  lucid  west, 
With  parting  beams  all  o'er  profusely  drest. 
Not  lovelier  colors  paint  the  vernal  dawn, 
When  orient  dews  impearl  th'  enamel'd  lawn, 
Than  from  his  sides  in  bright  suffusion  flow, 
That  now  with  gold  imperial  seem  to  glow  : 
Now  in  pellucid  sapphires  meet  the  view. 
And  emulate  the  soft  celestial  hue: 
Now  beam  a  flaming  crimson  on  the  eye  ; 
And  now  assume  the  purple's  deeper  dye. 
But  here  description  clouds  each  shining  ray: 
What,  terms  of  art  can  nature's  powers  display  ?" 

Four  days  after  leaving  Brazos  island  we  came  in 
sight  of  the  snow-covered  volcano  of  Orizaba,  which 
is  many  miles  in  the  interior  and  is  visible  seventy- 
five  miles  out  at  sea.  It  seemed  to  tower  directly 
above  us,  and  we  could  almost  fancy  that  we  saw 
men  moving  about  upon  it.  The  coast  was  yet 
invisible,  and  nothing  but  the  great  white  cone  de- 
noted that  we  were  near  to  the  land.  All  was  poetry 
from  the  time  we  saw  it  until  we  dropped  our  anchor 
in  the  harbor  of  Vera  Cruz. 

Before  noon  the  low  coast  became  visible,  and 
the  city  of  Yera  Cruz,  with  the  white  walled  castle 


40  GEN'.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa,  rose  slowly  up  above  the  hori- 
zon. It  was  a  magnificent  sight  out  at  sea,  and  one 
which  I  shall  always  remember. 

About  noon  we  dropped  our  anchor  in  the  harbor 
of  Vera  Cruz,  between  the  city  and  the  castle.  Our 
ship  swung  slowly  round,  and  we  found  ourselves 
close  to  the  United  States,  sloop  of  war  Germantown, 
of  twenty  guns,  which  was  at  that  time  the  flag-ship 
of  Commodore  Matthew  C.  Perry,  commander  of 
the  Gulf  squadron.  I  had  seen  the  Germantown  on 
the  stocks  at  the  navy -yard  in  Philadelphia  in  June 
1846,  and  little  thought,  at  that  time,  that  I  would 
next  meet  her  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  A  young 
midshipman  from  the  Germantown  boarded  us  and 
took  a  report  of  the  number  of  men,  etc.,  which  we 
had  on  board.  The  little  fellow  was  very  sprightly, 
and  gave  us  the  first  news,  that  General  Scott  had 
commenced  fighting  at  the  city  of  Mexico.  Our 
hearts  bounded  to  be  with  him,  and  when  the  reefer 
told  us  of  the  deaths  of  Colonels  Butler,  Ransom, 
Scott  and  a  host  of  others  who  had  been  killed,  we 
panted  for  an  opportunity  to  avenge  their  deaths. 
The  midshipman  told  us,  with  an  ominous  shake  of 
the  head,  that  we  would  have  hard  times  going  up, 
and  1  really  believe  he  commiserated  our  situation. 
When  he  left  our  ship  he  had  us  all  booked  as  dead 
men  before  three  months  rolled  round.  lie  left  us 
with  orders  to  go  down  the  coast  about  three  miles 
and  land  the  men.  Our  anchor  was  weighed  and 
we  were  soon  at  the  place  of  landing.  On  the  way 
down  we  passed  the  wreck  of  the  Mexican  bark 
Creole,  which  was  cut  out  from  under  the  walls  of  the 
castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa  and  set  on  fire  on  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  41 

20th  of  November,  1846,  by  Lieut.  Parker  and  passed 
Midshipman  Roclgers  and  Hynson  of  the  navy.  She 
was  burnt  to  the  water's  edge,  and  her  bottom  after- 
ward floated  ashore. 

We  went  on  shore  from  the  steamer  in  surf-boats, 
and  when  within  about  ten  rods  of  the  beach,  were 
obliged  to  jump  overboard  where  the  water  was 
three  or  four  feet  deep,  and  wade  the  rest  of  the  way. 
We  got  our  tents  and  baggage  on  shore  safely,  and 
before  night  had  them  pitched  at  camp  Vergara,  as 
the  encampment  on  the  beach  was  called.  The  rest 
of  the  regiment  arrived  soon  afterward. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival,  I  set  out  to  visit 
the  city  and  castle,  about  which  I  had  heard  so  much. 
As  I  approached  the  city,  I  met  a  long  caravan  of 
pack-mules  on  their  way  to  the  interior,  laden  with 
merchandise ;  the  Arrieros  or  drivers  were  vocifera- 
ting in  the  most  savage  manner,  while  the  poor 
mules  walked  meekly  along,  keeping  time  with  the 
tinkling  of  little  bells  that  hung  around  their  necks. 
The  first  zopilotes  or  turkey-buzzards  that  I  saw 
were  also  outside  of  the  city,  and  seemed  to  be  croak- 
ing for  something  to  eat.  These  birds  are  the  scav- 
engers of  Mexico,  and  are  kept  in  all  the  cities  along 
the  gulf  shore,  to  remove  putrid  and  noxious  sub- 
stances. 

The  city  is  walled,  and  on  passing  one  of  the  gates 
I  found  myself  in  a  wide,  clean-looking  street.  A 
soldier  on  post  saluted  me  as  I  passed  and  I  returned 
it  by  touching  my  cap  ;  this  is  the  etiquette  of  the 
army,  and  every  soldier  is  obliged  to  salute  an  officer 
each  time  he  passes.  If  the  officer  is  a  gentleman  he 

returns  the  salute. 
4 


42  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

I  strolled  along  through  the  streets  which  presented 
a  quiet  appearance,  as  the  vomito  or  yellow-fever 
had  lately  been  at  work  among  the  inhabitants. 
Upon  reaching  the  custom-house  at  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  city,  facing  the  gulf,  I  found  a  long  row 
of  beautiful  buildings,  built  of  Quincy  granite  which 
was  brought  from  the  United  States.  Under  the 
arches  which  led  to  the  Mole,  were  a  number  of 
fruit  dealers  engaged  in  selling  oranges,  figs,  pine- 
apples, bananas,  lemons,  cocoanuts,  etc. 

This  city  was  founded  about  the  year  1600,  while 
the  Marquis  of  Monterey  was  Vice-Roy  of  Mexico, 
and  received  a  charter  of  incorporation  in  1615. 
The  city  is  built  on  the  exact  spot  where  Hernando 
Cortez  landed  with  his  brave  Spanish  troops  to  in- 
vade Mexico,  on  the  21st  of  April  1519;  and  it  was 
here  that  he  first  unfurled  his  conquering  banners. 
The  climate  of  this  place  has  always  been  unhealthy, 
and  at  the  time  I  was  there,  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants did  not  exceed  eight  or  nine  thousand.  The 
houses  are  built  of  stone,  two  stories  high  and  very 
neat  in  their  appearance. 

From  the  mole  or  quay,  which  is  made  of  stone 
and  reaches  out  some  distance  into  the  gulf,  I  took 
a  boat,  and  accompanied  by  Lieut.  Barber,  went  over 
to  visit  the  world-renowned  castle  of  San  Juan 
d'Ulloa.  We  were  rowed  over  by  a  surly-looking 
Mexican  and  safely  landed  in  the  castle. 

Upon  leaving  the  mole  I  could  not  help  thinking 
of  a  story  my  brother,  Joseph  W.  Brackett,  told  me, 
which  occurred  at  this  place.  My  brother  was  a 
midshipman  at  the  time  and  belonged  on  board  the 
U.  S.  sloop  of  war  Falmouth.  He  was  ordered  to 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  43 

go  ashore  ono  day,  with  a  boat's  crew,  for  some  pur- 
pose, and  while  there,  a  seaman  named  Nelson  Nor- 
ton, who  was  afterward  in  Wilkes's  exploring  expe- 
dition, ran  a  Mexican  soldier  back  upon  his  own 
guard,  with  a  boat-hook.  The  soldier  was  insolent, 
and  without  any  ceremony  Norton  took  him  a  crack 
with  the  hook,  which  came  very  near  killing  him. 
My  brother  got  his  crew  off  as  soon  as  possible  and 
returned  to  his  ship.  The  incident  occurred  in  the 
year  1832  or  '33. 

We  found  the  castle  in  command  of  Lieut.-Col. 
Wilson,  and  were  politely  received  by  an  assistant- 
surgeon,  whose  name  I  do  not  now  recollect,  who 
had  just  recovered  from  a  severe  attack  of  yellow- 
fever.  By  him  we  were  shown  through  the  different 
apartments  of  the  castle,  from  the  highest  point 
where  vessels  arc  signaled  far  out  at  sea,  to  the 
lowest  arches,  where  we  saw  moldering  piles  of 
lances  and  old  English  tower  muskets.  The  castle 
is  built  upon  an  island  twelve  acres  in  extent,  which 
it  completely  covers ;  the  walls  are  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  feet  thick,  and  constructed  of  a  species  of  soft 
white  coral,  but  faced  with  hard  stone.  We  saw  a 
number  of  shot-holes  in  the  walls,  and  in  one  place 
was  a  large  heavy  cannon-ball,  fired  by  the  French, 
which  was  imbedded  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  into 
the  coral.  The  casemates  are  impervious  to  shot 
and  the  magazines  are  now  bomb-proof.  During  the 
siege  in  184:*,  there  were  between  two  hundred  and 
fifty  and  three  hundred  cannon  in  the  city  and  castle. 

Its. Construction  was  commenced  in  the  year  1582, 
and  nearly  forty  millions  of  dollars  have  been  ex- 
pended upon  it. 


44  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

A  French  naval  force  took  the  castle  from  the 
Mexicans  in  the  autumn  of  1838.  The  French  fleet 
consisted  of  four  large  ships,  carrying  one  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  guns,  two  armed  steamboats,  and 
two  bomb-ketches  with  four  large  mortars.  The 
whole  number  of  guns,  of  whatever  description, 
found  in  the  castle  at  that  time,  was  one  hundred 
and  eighty-seven;  a  large  portion  of  these,  however, 
were  for  land  defense.  Two  powder  magazines,  from 
not  being  bomb-proof,  were  blown  up  during  the 
engagement,  after  which  it  surrendered. 

The  taking  of  the  city  and  castle  by  Gen.  Scott, 
in  March  1847,  is  familiar  to  all  American  readers. 

After  spending  a  few  hours  pleasantly  at  this  place 
Barber  and  myself  returned  to  the  city.  On  the 
outside  of  the  castle  are  large  heavy  rings  fastened 
in  the  walls,  which  are  used  during  the  prevalence 
of  "Northers,"  to  fasten  the  cables  of  ships  to. 

The  town  suffered  a  great  deal  during  the  siege, 
and  was  in  a  bad  condition,  though  clean.  A  cathe- 
dral which  I  went  into  had  its  dome  knocked  oif  by 
a  shell,  which  fell  and  killed  a  number  of  women 
and  children.  In  this  cathedral  I  saw,  for  the  first 
time,  wax  figures  of  all  colors,  of  our  Savior,  sus- 
pended on  crosses,  from  the  white  skin  of  a  Euro- 
pean, to  the  darkest  African  tinge.  Why  they  have 
them  white  and  black  I  cannot  tell  unless  it  is  to 
suit  all  classes. 

In  the  batteries,  on-the  walls  of  the  city,  I  noticed 
some  heavy  cannon  which  were  used  by  the  Mexi- 
cans against  the  Americans,  during  the  siege,  one 
of  them,  a  very  heavy  piece,  had  been  knocked  off 
its  carriage  by  a  heavy  cannon-ball  from  the  Amer 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  45 

ican  batteries,  which  struck  it  directly  in  the  muz- 
zle. The  cannon  was  turned  completely  over. 

In  the  evening  I  returned  to  our  encampment, 
well  satisfied  with  my  day's  excursion. 

Our  encampment  at  Vergara  was  the  scene  of 
much  excitement  between  the  16th  and  19th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1847.  Baggage-wagons  were  overhauled 
and  mended,  artillery  carriages  put  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  everything  made  ready  in  the  best  possi- 
ble manner  for  our  march  toward  the  city  of  Mexico, 
to  open  communications  between  the  sea-board  and 
General  Scott's  army.  As  yet  only  vague  rumors 
had  reached  us  of  the  fighting  at  the  city,  and  we 
were  all  eager  to  get  on  as  fast  as  we  could. 

At  this  place  Adjutant  Cole  resigned  his  rank  as 
adjutant,  and  resumed  his  place  as  1st  lieutenant  of 
company  H.  Second  Lieut.  John  "W.  Dodd,  of  com- 
pany A,  was  appointed  in  his  place  as  adjutant  of 
the  4th  regiment  of  Indiana  volunteers ;  it  proved  to 
be  a  most  excellent  appointment.  Captains  John 
M.  Wallace  and  William  T.  Baldridge  returned 
home  from  the  mouth  of  tbe  Kio  Grande,  as  did 
2d  Lieut.  John  Franklin.  Captain  Baldridge  and 
LieutT  Franklin  resigned. 

Before  starting,  the  different  regiments  and  corps 
were  reviewed  by  Brigadier-General  Lane,  and  the 
officers  reported  as  follows,  viz : — 


ARTILLERY. 


Battery  of  five  pieces,  3d  regiment  U.  S.  artillery.    Captain  George 
Taylor  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Horace  B.  Field. 

Battery  of  two  pieces,  2d  regiment  artillery.     1st  Lieut.,  Henry  C 
Pratt. 


46  '  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

C  A  V  AL  ET. 

Company  of  Louisiana  Mounted  Volunteers. 
Captain  Lorenzo  Lewis  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Christopher  Lilly  ;  2d  Lieuts., 
Henderson  and  Cline. 

INFANTRY. 

Detachment  of   recruits  for    regular  regiments,  under   Captain 
Seneca  G.  Simmons,  7th  17.  S.  infantry. 

Fourth  Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers. 

Colonel  Willis   A.  Gorman  ;  Lieut.-Colouel    Ebeuezer    Dumont ; 

Major  William  W.  McCoy. 
Company  A,  1st  Lieut.,  J.  S.  S.  Decatur  Gary,  commanding  ;  2d 

Lieuts.  John  W.  Dodd,  (Adjutant,)  and  Nineveh  Berry,  A.  C.  S. 
Company  B,  Capt.  Jesse  I.  Alexander  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Gustavus  H. 

Way  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  Charles  Tansey  and  Benjamin  F.  Hays. 
Company  C,  Capt.  Morgan  L.  Payne ;  1st  Lieut.,  Martin  M.  Van 

Dusen  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  Thomas  J.  Lucas  and  Milton  H.  Catlitt. 
Company  D,  Capt.  Edward  Lander  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Abraham    B.  B. 

Lewis  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  Benjamin  Pillbean  and  Joseph  Coombs. 
Company  E,  Capt.  John  W.  Crooks  ;  1st  Lieut ,    Christopher  C. 

Graham  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  James  H.  Graham  and  Charles  Finch. 
Company  F,  Capt.  Michael  Fitzgibbons  ;   1st  Lieut.,  Isaac  Finley  ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  William  F.  McLean  and  George  W.  Amsden. 
Company    G,   Capt.    Daniel    Lunderman  ;    1st    Lieut.,    William 

McPhetridge  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  Barton  Akoff  and  Thomas   J.  Rey- 
nolds. 
Company  H,  Capt.  Landon  Cochran  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Edward  Cole  ;  2d 

Lieuts.,  John  W.  Mullen  and  Jonathan  Lee. 
Company  I,  Capt.  Robert  Fravel  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Albert  G.  Brackett ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  Luther  S.  Allard  and  Daniel  S.  Barber. 
Company  K,  Capt.  Alexander  L.  Mason  ;  1st  Lieut.,  James  C.  Lit- 

tcll;  2d  Lieuts.,  James  R.  Mills  and  Noble  Hamilton,  A.  A.  Q.  M. 
Assistant  surgeons,  Isaac  M.  Brower,  M.  D.;  D.  Wooster,  M.  D.; 
Sergeant  major,  William  W.  Buchanan. 
Q.  M.  Sergeant,  McKinley  Crookshank. 
Commissary's  sergeant,  Richard  Peasley. 
Principal  Musician,  Charles  N.  Shook. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  47 

Fourth  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteers. 

Colonel,  Charles  H.  Brough  ;    Lieut.  Colonel,  Augustus  Moore  ; 

Major,  William  P.  Young  ;  Surgeon,  Oliver  M.  Langdon,  M.  D.; 

Assistant  Surgeon,  Henry  E.  Foote,  M.  D. 
Company  A,  Capt.  Hermann  Kessler  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Louis  S.  Gelan  ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  Charles  Henn  and  Henry  Wiltz. 
Company  B,  Capt.  Otto  Zirckel ;  1st  Lieut.,  Edward  Roessler  ;  2d 

Lieuts.,  George  Cullman  and  Frederick  Smith. 
Company  C,  Capt.  Samuel  Thompson  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Isaac  Kuapp  ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  George  M.  Tillotson  and  Lewis  Leppleman. 
Company  D,  Capt.  George  Weaver  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Simpson  P.  Moses  ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  Obadiah  Holmes  and  George  W.  Baird. 
Company  E,  Capt.  M.  C.  Lilly  ;  1st  Lieut.,  John  C.  Groom  ;  2d 

Lieuts.,  Robert  H.  Thompson  and  Abel  Moore. 
Company  F,  Capt.  George  E.  Pugh ;    1st  Lieut.,  Samuel  Douglas, 

A.  D.  C.  to  Gen.  Lane  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  Calhoun  Benham  and  Lafay- 
ette Mosher. 
Company  G,  Capt.   James  Irvine  ;   1st   Lieut.,  E\  B.  Sayre  ;   2d 

Lieuts.,  M.  S.  Morton  and  Peter  D.  Ankeny. 
Company  H,  Capt.  George  A.  Richmond ;    1st  Lieut.,  Joseph  A. 

Smith  ;  2d  Lieuts.,  John  N.  Dyer  and  John  Adams. 
Company  I,  Capt.  Henry  Robinson  ;  1st  Lieut.,  Meigs  Robinson  ; 

2d  Lieuts.,  Warner  Spencer  (adjutant)  and  Daniel  B.  Robinson 
Company  K,  Capt.  John  Fries  ;    1st  Lieut.,  Henry  Doepfer  ;  2d 

Lieuts.,  Win.  J  Graebe  and  Lothar  Eisen. 
Sergeant  Major,  John  Robinson. 
Q.  M.  Sergeant,  Joseph  Groom. 
Principal  Musician,  James  Smith. 

Our  force  was  afterward  augmented  by  a  detach- 
ment of  recruits  under  Captain  Samuel  P.  Heintzel- 
man  of  the  2d  regiment  U.  S.  infantry,  numbering 
three  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

Our  regiment,  as  well  as  the  4th  Ohio,  was  already 
very  much  cut  down  by  sickness,  and  out  of  our  own 
company  we  left  twelve  in  the  hospital  at  Vera 
Cruz,  five  of  whom  died  of  yellow  fever.  As  these 


48  GEX.  LAKE'S  BBIGAOE  IN 

pages  may  some  time  be  perused  by  their  friends,  I 
here  insert  the  names  of  those  who  died,  viz: — Ser- 
geant Asa  Nye;  privates,  Martin  Miller,  James 
Monroe,  Edward  E.  Paige  and  James  Williamson. 
The  rest  were  discharged,  except  privates  William 
N.  Bailey,  Evans  Elliott  and  Moses  Hicks,  who  sub- 
sequently joined  the  company. 

The  evening  previous  to  our  departure,  I  had  the 
rare  good  fortune  to  receive  a  letter  from  home,  and 
by  the  flickering  light  of  a  short  campaigning  can- 
dle, read  it  over  and  over  twenty  times.  I  was  the 
envy  of  all  the  lads  in  our  mess,  as  no  one  received 
a  letter  that  evening  but  myself,  and  letters  were 
precious  when  they  were  received  but  once  in  two  or 
three  months.  My  letter  told  of  home,  that  dear  old 
place  where  I  often  —  oh!  how  often,  wandered  in 
my  fancy.  It  told  of  friends  far  off  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  many  of  whom  were  near  and  dear  to  me,  and 
I  must  here,  though  it  may  be  considered  a  digres- 
sion, speak  of  some  of  them.  I  shall  speak  of  them 
as  they  were  then,  and  of  their  subsequent  history. 

Those  I  wish  to  speak  of  belonged  to  the  First 
Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers.  I  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  regiment,  having  been  with  it 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  month  of  August, 
1846.  My  brother,  John  E.  Brackett,  who  gradu- 
ated at  West  Point  in  1832,  was  a  captain  in  the 
regiment,  and  I  was  with  him  expecting  an  appoint- 
ment in  the  army.  The  soldiers  were  encamped  at 
that  time  on  Governor's  Island,  in  the  harbor  of 
New  York,  and  the  regiment  sailed  from  thence  to 
California  in  the  month  of  September,  1S46,  and 
went  round  Cape  Horn,  touching  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  49 

on  this  side,  and  at  Valparaiso,  and  Callao,  on  the 
other  side  of  South  America.  It  was  commanded 
by  Col.  Jonathan  D.  Stephenson,  and  was  stationed 
in  California  until  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war. 
Henry  S.  Burton  was  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
James  A.  Hardie,  Major. — I  recollect  a  number  of 
the  officers  of  the  regiment,  among  them,  Captains 
Brackett,  Neaglec,  and  Stevenson,  all  "West  Point 
graduates;  Captains  Dimmick,  Steele,  Taylor,  Fris- 
bie,  and  Lippitt;  Lieutenants  Gilbert,  Pendleton, 
Tremmells,  Anderson,  Hubberd,  Bonnycastle,  More- 
head,  Brewerton,  Lemmon,  Bnffum,  arid  Per.  Lee. 

I  knew  Lieutenant  Edward  Gilbert  well,  having 
been  brought  up  with  him  in  the  town  of  Cherry 
Yalley,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  somewhat 
older  than  I  was,  but  still  I  enjoyed  his  friendship, 
and  watched  his  short,  though  brilliant  career,  with 
exceeding  interest.  He  was  born  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  the- precise  date  I  do  not  recollect,  and  while 
yet  young  removed  to  Cherry  Valley,  where  he  com- 
menced learning  the  printers'  trade  with  his  relatives, 
"William  and  Charles  McLean,  who  were  editors  and 
proprietors  of  the  Cherry  Valley  Gazette.  Edward 
was  poor,  but  a  more  proud-spirited  and  honorable  fel- 
low never  trod  the  earth.  He  toiled  night  and  day  to 
support  himself  and  his  aged  mother,  and  having 
learned  his  trade,  removed  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  soon  became  foreman  of  a  large  and  extensive 
printing  establishment. 

"When  the  Mexican  war  broke  out,  he  became  a 
Lieutenant  in  Captain  Van  O'Linda's  company,  but 
there  being  no  prospect  of  that  company's  being 
called  into  service  soon,  he  joined  Captain  Frisbie's 


50  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

company,  as  first  lieutenant,  and  sailed  for  Cali- 
fornia. Van  O'Linda's  company  subsequently  be- 
longed to  Col.  Burnett's  Regiment,  the  Second  New 
York  Volunteers,  which  served  in  Mexico,  and 
Van  O'Linda  himself  was  killed  at  the  storming  of 
the  Castle  of  Chapultepec. 

Lieutenant  Gilbert  served  creditably  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  then  started  a  newspaper, 
called  the  Alia  California,  in  the  city  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  gold  mines  were  shortly  afterward  dis- 
covered, and  the  golden  star  of  the  Pacific  was 
added  to  the  American  constellation.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Convention  which  framed  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  State  of  California,  and  was  shortly 
afterward  elected  to  Congress.  Wright  and  Gilbert 
were  the  two  first  members  of  the  U.  S.  House  of 
Representatives  from  that  State. 

The  last  time  I  ever  saw  him  on  earth,  was  on 
Governor's  Island.  Being  about  to  return  home,  I 
made  Gilbert  a  present  of  a  beautiful  dirk,  on  the 
hilt  of  which  were  marked  the  initials  of  my  name. 
He  took  it,  and  remarked  to  me,  "If  I  ever  have 
occasion  to  use  it,  Ab.,  I  will  certainly  recollect  you, 
if  I  have  time." 

Off  Cape  Horn,  on  his  passage  to  California,  a 
man  fell  overboard  from  the  ship  which  he  was  on. 
Immediately  he,  and  First  Lieutenant  Tremmells, 
of  my  brother's  company,  tied  ropes  around  their 
bodies  and  jumped  into  the  sea,  to  rescue,  if  pos- 
sible, the  drowning  man.  They  got  him  on  board  safe, 
and  were  just  receiving  the  congratulations  of  their 
fellow  -officers,  when  the  brave  Lieut.  Tremmels  fell 
dead  upon  the  deck,  from  the  effects  of  over-exertion. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  51 

In  Congress,  Gilbert  acquitted  himself  well,  and 
labored  for  the  good  of  his  constituents.  I  fre- 
quently received  letters  from  him  while  he  was  at 
"Washington,  always  professing  the  warmest  interest 
in  my  welfare,  and  friendship  for  me  personally. 
But  his  career  is  done!  His  sun  sank  in  blood,  and 
upon  the  so-called  "field  of  honor,"  he  offered  up 
his  life,  a  willing  sacrifice,  to  what  he  considered 
to  be  his  duty.  He  wrote  an  article  for  his  paper, 
in  the  summer  of  1852,  after  his  return  to  Cali- 
fornia, casting  some  reflections  upon  Governor  Big- 
ler,  for  which  he  was  challenged  to  fight  a  duel  by 
General  Denver.  He  accepted  the  challenge,  and 
fought  his  opponent  at  a  short  distance  with  rifles. 
At  the  first  fire,  Gilbert  was  shot  through  the  heart, 
and  dropping  on  the  ground,  his  blood  and  his  lifo 
oozed  out  together.  How  sad  a  picture!  ,  The 
prospect  before  him  was  more  brilliant  than  that  of 
any  one  with  whom  I  am  now  acquainted,  but  it 
was  blotted  out  forever  by  that  fatal  bullet.  It  is 
exceedingly  painful  for  me  to  dwell  upon  this  cir- 
cumstance, as  by  it  I  lost  a  true  friend.  Gilbert 
was  only  about  thirty-two  years  of  age  when  he  was 
killed. 

Albert  B.  Crafts,  Jerome  Hart,  and  Benjamin 
Hudson,  from  my  native  town,  were  all  soldiers  in 
the  California  regiment. 

Having  now  paid  a  just  debt  which  I  owed  to  tho 
memory  of  Edward  Gilbert,  I  will,  with  my  reader's 
consent,  return  to  my  wall -tent  on  the  shores  of  the 
"Blue  Gulf."  The  night  previous  to  our  departure, 
I  lay  stretched  out  on  my  clean  Mackinaw  blanket 
watching  a  sentinel  who  was  walking  a  short  distance 


52  GEN.   LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

off,  and  as  the  night  was  calm  and  still  a  train  of 
reflections  passed  through  my  mind.  The  character 
of  my  comrades  and  the  officers  of  the  Brigade 
generally,  were  the  subjects  which  that  evening 
occupied  the  largest  share  of  my  attention.  In  our 
company  we  had  a  captain  from  Virginia,  a  first 
lieutenant  from  New  York,  and  two  second  lieu- 
tenants, one  from  Massachusetts  and  the  other  from 
Maine.  There  were  some  decided  characters  in  our 
regiment,  and  some  "  toodles,"  who  had  neither 
character  or  stamina.  We  had  officers  who  spoke 
to  the  men  in  thunder  tones,  and  others  who  ad- 
dressed the  soldiers  as  though  they  were  a  party  of 
ladies.  We  had  some  who  were  "slashers,"  gay 
rollicking  devils,  who  delighted  in  the  idea  of  get- 
ting into  a  light,  and  some  who  were  too  genteel 
almost  to  touch  a  musket.  We  had  officers  who 
were  handsome,  well  dressed  and  emphatically 
"ladies'  men,"  and  others  who  were  as  rough  and 
uncouth  as  Polar  bears.  We  had  a  general  who 
dreamed  nightly  of  the  music  of  four- and  -twenty 
pounders,  and  colonels  whose  eyes  gleamed  with 
happiness,  when  they  thought  of  the  red  fields  be- 
fore them.  Lieutenant-colonels  we  had  too,  who 
could  pound  away  with  their  heavy  sabers  like  the 
clear  ringing  of  anvils,  and  majors  who  drew  their 
tall  forms  up  more  erect,  when  an  enemy's  bullet 
whistled  near  them.  We  had  assistant  surgeons 
who  would  kneel  and  worship  at  the  shrine  of  hu- 
man loveliness,  "and  then  dissect  a  Cytherean 
Venus  to  trace  the  course  of  an  imaginary  muscle." 
We  had  commissaries  who  prated  about  the  gen- 
erosity of  Uncle  Sam,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  us 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  53 

scant  rations  of  moldy  flour.  They  "  cribbed"  us 
close  and  looked  on  in  ghastly  astonishment,  when 
they  saw  us  stow  away  their  flinty  crackers  and  dan- 
gerous beef.  But  why  should  I  say  more,  my 
blanket  was  warm  and  clean,  and  the  spirit  of 
dream-land,  with  his  dark  and  smoky  plumage,  was 
hovering  over  my  couch. 

We  left  Vera  Cruz  on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday, 
September  19th,  1847,  our  force  consisting  of  the 
artillery  before  mentioned,  Lewis'  cavalry,  Simmons' 
battalion,  and  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  regiments. 
From  Yergara  our  road  lay  through  the  sand-ridges, 
almost  destitute  of  verdure,  and  the  soldiers  were 
obliged  to  push  the  artillery  carriages  up  many  of 
the  steep  ascents,  on  account  of  the  deep  heavy  ruts 
which  had  been  formed.  Before  reaching  the  Puente 
de  Marino,  a  small  bridge  which  crosses  the  Medel- 
lin  river,  where  Harney  and  his  dragoons  had  a 
fight  on  the  25th  of  March,  we  came  into  groves  of 
thick  heavy  timber  which  lined  the  sides  of  the 
road.  Brigadier-General  Lane  and  his  staff  kept 
along  with  us,  and  about  nightfall  we  were  ordered 
to  halt  for  the  night.  The  place  we  stopped  at  was 
called  Santa  Fe,  and  a  little  hamlet  of  the  same 
name  near-by,  bespoke  the  ruin  and  desolation  con- 
sequent upon  a  country  suffering  from  the  effects  of 
war.  A  few  blackened  and  charred  ruins  were  all 
that  was  left  of  a  little  place,  where  a  few  months 
before,  all  had  been  peace  and  happiness. 

Our  command  was  not  overstocked  with  baggage, 
General  Lane  having  ordered  us  to  leave  our  tents, 
trunks  and  various  other  little  necessaries  which  we 
had  got  together  to  make  life  agreeable.  Four 


54  GEN,  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

officers  were  allowed  one  trunk,  and  we  had  a  tent 
which  we  afterward  burnt  at  La  Iloya.  One  wagon 
was  allowed  to  every  two  companies,  and  was  filled 
np  with  camp-kettles,  mess-pans,  knapsacks,  etc. 
"We  had  a  large  train,  but  the  wagons  were  for  the 
most  part  filled  with  ammunition  for  small  arms, 
and  provisions  for  the  soldiers. 

At  Santa  Fe  we  lay  down  on  the  soft  prairie  grass 
and  tried  to  sleep  off  the  effects  of  our  seven-mile 
march  from  Vera  Cruz. 

"With  the  sun  the  next  morning,  we  were  on  the 
road  again,  and  though  intensely  hot  we  were  obliged 
to  trudge  along  with  no  other  music  than  that  made 
by  parrots,  which  swarmed  around  us  in  great  num- 
bers—  some  of  them  small  and  ugly,  and  others 
large,  with  a  profusion  of  gaudy  plumage. 

It  was  so  hot  that  many  of  our  men  threw  away 
their  knapsacks,  haversacks,  canteens,  jackets,  and 
in  some  instances.  I  am  sorry  to  say,  their  cartridge- 
boxes.  Poor  fellows!  I  could  hardly  blame  them, 
and  got  almost  tired  myself  of  carrying  my  new  and 
graceful  light-artillery  sabre.  The  road  was  liter- 
ally lined  with  articles,  and  nobody  could  pick  them 
np,  as  we  all  had  as  much  as  we  could  or  would 
carry.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  Mexicans  made  a 
fine  haul  after  we  passed  along  the  road.  About 
noon  a  few  straggling  musket  reports  were  heard, 
and  the  cry  ran  along  the  line  that  we  were  attacked 
in  front  by  a  party  of  Mexican  guerrillas.  Our 
column  was  stretched  out  a  good  deal,  and  Colonel 
Gorman  came  dashing  along  by  us  on  horseback  at 
full  speed,  ordering  us  to  "close  up."  It  was  amus- 
ing to  see  the  eyeballs  of  our  men  start  out,  and  I 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  55 

really  believe  a  more  excited  body  of  troops  never 
was  on  earth.  The  boys  were  all  game,  and  they 
seemed  determined  to  "kill  something"  at  all 
hazards. 

We  halted,  and  the  mouths  of  the  men  fairly 
watered  for  a  chance  to  fire  at  a  Mexican  in  anger. 
Such  however  was  not  our  fortune  at  that  time,  and 
Lewis'  cavalry  company  had  all  the  fighting  to  them- 
selves. The  bushes  were  very  dense  each  side  of 
the  road,  and  the  Mexicans  had  crossed  the  road  and 
tried  to  kill  a  poor  old  soldier  who  had  fainted  from 
fatigue.  The  cavalry  followed  them,  killed  seven, 
and  took  two  horses.  A  party  of  Ohioans  were  also 
on  the  track,  and  were  unfortunate  enough  to  lose  a 
promising  young  officer  named  Lieutenant  Cullman, 
who  dropped  dead  in  the  road  from  the  effects  of 
the  heat.  It  was  indeed  hot,  and  one  of  our  officers 
remarked,  if  it  continued  long,  he  should  begin  to 
believe  in  Riley's  narrative. 

About  sunset  we  halted  for  the  night  near  a  small 
creek,  where  we  had  a  most  disagreeable  time. 
Being  nearly  starved,  we  found  some  fruit  which  re- 
sembled red  plums,  some  beans,  which  were  doubtless 
castor  beans,  and  some  small  nuts,  which  tasted  very 
much  like  the  fruit  of  the  cocoanut ;  of  these  we  made 
a  supper,  and  such  sickness  as  prevailed  in  our  carnp 
that  night  would  have  broken  the  heart  of  a  homoeo- 
pathic physician.  It  makes  me  sick  at  the  stomach 
to  think  of  it.  Most  of  our  men  lay  stretched  out 
on  the  hard  ground,  suffering  the  most  agonizing 
pains  and  confidently  expecting  that  death  would 
soon  release  them,  from  following  further  the  for- 
tunes of  the  United  States  army.  Such  was  ijot  the 


50  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

case  however,  and  in  the  morning  they  were  all  well 
except  being  excessively  weak.  What  one  that  was 
there,  will  ever  forget  that  night ! 

Our  camping-place  was  one  of  the  most  romantic 
spots  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of,  and  it  seemed  a 
real  pity  that  it  should  be  the  scene  of  such  an  un- 
poetic  disaster  as  befell  our  brigade.  To  the  right 
of  our  regiment  lay  an  old  bridge  covered  with  moss 
and  ivy,  with  the  little  stream  before  spoken  of,  purl- 
ing along  beneath  it.  Over-head  hung  the  dark 
umbrageous  branches  of  trees,  of  a  variety  wholly 
unknown  to  us,  and  in  the  branches  were  beautifully- 
feathered  birds. 

I  did  not  feel  in  the  spirit  to  take  many  observa- 
tions myself,  and  left  the  next  morning  with  "a 
light  heart,"  as  Dormar,  an  Emerald  Isle  soldier, 
expressed  it,  "to  think  I  wasn't  dead." 

Doctors  Langdon,  Brower  and  Foote,  were  very 
attentive  to  the  sick  and  rendered  them  every  assist- 
ance in  their  power. 

We  marched,  on  the  21st,  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
miles  to  a  place  called  Passo  de  Ovejas.  This  place 
is  known  to  Americans  as  the  Robber's  Bridge.  Our 
train  was  over  a  mile  in  length,  and  no  incident 
occurred  during  the  day  worthy  of  special  mention. 
The  same  scenery  continued  as  on  the  preceding 
day,  with  the  same  overpowering  heat. 

As  we  marched  into  the  little  town,  a  rather 
serious  though  amusing  incident  took  place  ;  a  sol- 
dier came  clambering  over  a  pile  of  rocks  which  lay 
beside  the  road,  the  very  image  of  mute  despair,  he 
limped  considerably,  and  as  he  approached  gave  evi- 
dence that  something  terrible  had  happened  to  him. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  57 

I  asked  him  what  was  the  trouble. — "God  knows," 
said  he  "  the  guerrilla's  have  been  firing  at  me,  and 
something  hurts  me."  I  asked  him  where  the  hurt 
was — he  pulled  up  his  pants,  and  through  the  calf  of 
his  leg  was  a  clean  cut  ball-hole.  He  asked  me 
what  it  was,  and  I  told  him— "Will  it  kill  me?" 
said  he — I  told  him  no,  and  he  hobbled  off  to  his 
company  in  much  better  spirits.  He  was  an  Ohio 
volunteer,  named  Volk,  and  belonged  to  com- 
pany A. 

After  our  train  had  all  got  into  the  village,  and 
the  men  were  cooking  their  rations,  the  cavalry  com- 
pany went  on  a  hill  near-by  to  discharge  their  car- 
bines. I  was  with  the  colonel  at  the  time,  and  saw 
them  go  up.  As  soon  as  they  fired,  the  whole  camp 
was  in  an  uproar,  and  all  the  companies  immedi- 
ately formed  expecting  every  moment  to  be  attacked 
by  the  Mexicans.  The  cause  of  the  alarm  was  soon 
explained  and  the  men  returned  to  their  messes  to 
finish  their  suppers. 

Such  alarms  as  these  were  frequent,  and  served  to 
keep  the  men  exceedingly  nervous.  Whether  they 
were  of  any  benefit  I  never  could  understand. 

On  the  evening  of  the  22d,  we  were  just  starting 
out  from  the  bridge,  when  we  were  attacked  in 
earnest  by  a  large  body  of  guerrillas.  Our  regiment 
being  considerably  in  advance,  was  instantly  formed 
in  line  of  battle,  on  the  side  of  a  hill.  The  train 
was  halted,  and  our  men  so  disposed  as  to  protect 
as  much  of  it  as  possible.  Lewis'  company  came 
down  into  the  valley  below  us,  when  the  guerrillas 
from  a  hill  near-by,  poured  in  quick  fire  upon  them, 
killing  Lieutenant  Cline  instantly  and  wounding 


58  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

one  of  the  men.  The  poor  lieutenant  dropped  with 
a  palsied  fall  from  his  horse,  the  ball  having  passed 
directly  through  his  temples.  The  rest  of  the  com- 
pany immediately  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  and 
rode  in  the  direction  of  the  Mexicans;  they  were 
unable  to  reach  them,  when  a  six-pounder  cannon 
was  unlimbered  and  loaded  with  grape-shot,  by  our 
artillerymen,  which  being  fired  at  them,  sent  them 
flying  in  all  directions.  Our  train  was  again  in 
motion,  and  taking  the  dead  bodies  of  Lieut.  Cline 
and  an  Ohio  soldier  who  had  been  killed  in  the 
skirmish,  we  pressed  on. 

The  scenery  along  the  road  was  exceedingly  ro- 
mantic, interspersed  with  deep  valleys  and  high  roll- 
ing uplands,  covered  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  and 
tropical  trees.  The  air  was  sweet  with  the  fragrance 
of  plants  unknown  to  us,  and  a  great  variety  of 
beautiful  birds  were  continually  cheering  us  along 
with  their  melodious  warbling.  Over  the  plains  and 
slopes,  is  spread  a  wild  growth  of  mimosas,  cactuses 
and  acacias,  while  a  profusion  of  vines  filled  with 
gaudy  blossoms,  trail  among  the  shrubs  and  ma- 
guey plants,  relieving  the  latter  of  their  cold  and  for- 
mal stiffness. 

"We  passed  a  number  of  old  ruins  of  churches  and 
haciendas,  deserted  by  all  friends,  save  the  creeping 
ivy,  which  seemed  to  nestle  closer  to  the  walls,  as 
they  were  assailed  by  the  old  enemy  of  art  —  Time. 
One  old  church  I  particularly  remember,  which  stood 
on  the  left  side  of  the  road.  I  loved  it  at  first  sight, 
and  can  well  recollect  how  stately  it  looked,  decked 
with  its  coronal  of  flowers.  If  I  were  a  Mexican  I 
would  adore  Mexico,  and  should  I  ever  leave  it  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  59 

sweet  words  of  Catharine  Hays  would  occur  to  mo 
with  a  tenfold  meaning. 

"Dim  tli rough  my  parting  tears  I'd  smile, 
To  claim,  old  land  !   my  birth  from  thee." 

We  were  very  much  surprised  to  meet  with  a 
body  of  American  troops  drawn  up  on  the  side  of  the 
road,  under  command  of  Colonel  Hughes.  The  col- 
onel, who  was  stationed  at  the  National  Bridge,  had 
received  intelligence  that  we  were  attacked,  and 
like  a  brave  man  came  out  to  our  assistance.  He 
was  too  late  and  marched  his  men  back  with  us. 
About  two  o'clock  we  commenced  descending  along 
a  hard  road  of  limestone  rock  with  high  hills  on 
each  side,  and  soon  afterward  came  in  sight  of  the 
east  end  of  the  National  Bridge.  As  we  wound  our 
way  down  the  road  we  came  upon  the  dried  up 
bodies  of  two  dead  men,  which  the  soldiers  carried 
on  the  ends  of  their  bayonets,  and  pitched  over  a 
rocky  declivity,  as  they  were  too  much  decayed  to 
handle  them  with  our  hands.  We  made  no  inquiry 
as  to  who  they  were,  but  strips  of  blue  clothing  on 
the  bodies  bespoke  that  they  had  once  been  Amer- 
ican soldiers.  I  pitied  them,  but  we  could  afford  no 
better  burial. 

.  Midway  between  the  .east  and  west  ends  of  the 
National  Bridge,  there  is  a  high  rocky  eminence,  on 
which  is  a  fort.  Most  of  the  waters  of  the  river  run 
under  the  arches  at  the  west  end,  and  the  acclivity 
just  mentioned  is  a  kind  of  island.  This  bridge 
was  formerly  called  the  Puente  del  Roy,  or  the 
Bridge  of  the  King,  but  since  Mexico  has  been  a 
Republic,  it  has  taken  the  name  of  Puente  Nacional, 
or  the  National  Bridge.  In  the  time  of  revolution  in 


60  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Mexico,  the  generals  lay  concealed  in  the  mountain 
fastnesses  and  defiles  near  the  bridge,  and  finally 
as  they  became  stronger  in  numbers,  swept  down 
like  an  avalanche  from  the  mountains  and  decided 
the  contest  in  favor  of  independence.  The  bridge 
and  surrounding  scenery  at  this  place  form,  with- 
out doubt,  one  of  the  most  sublime  landscapes  in 
Mexico. 

The  National  Bridge  is  a  magnificent  structure, 
and  crosses  the  Rio  Antaigua,  a  swift  stream  which 
rises  near  the  base  of  Mount  Orizaba,  on  a  number 
of  massive  arches.  The  masonry  is  of  the  most 
durable  character,  and  though  the  bridge  has  been 
finished  since  the  year  1776,  it  does  not,  as  yet, 
show  the  least  signs  of  decay.  At  the  middle  of 
the  bridge  is  a  monument  giving  the  date  of  its  com- 
menc3ment  and  completion,  and  here  too  are  stone 
seats  for  weary  travelers.  There  is  a  strong  wall  on 
each  side,  running  the  whole  length  of  it,  which  is 
between  three  and  four  feet  high. 

There  had  been  a  number  of  fights  at  this  place 
previous  to  our  arrival,  and  a  considerable  number 
of  lives  had  been  lost.  The  first  skirmish  occurred 
on  the  10th  day  of  June,  1817,  while  Gen.  Cadwal- 
lader  was  on  his  march  up  from  Vera  Cruz  to  join 
General  Scott,  then  at  Puebla.  The  next  one  was 
on  the  16th  of  July,  when  Brigadier-General  Frank- 
lin Pierce  routed  the  enemy  with  great  loss.  Major 
Lally  next  attacked  the  Mexicans  here  on  the  12th 
of  August,  and  put  them  to  flight.  Lieut.  Twiggs 
was  killed  in  this  skirmish.  Colonel  Hughes  also 
had  a  fight  with  the  Mexicans,  upon  his  arrival  here, 
and  carried  the  fort  on  the  height  at  the  point  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  Gl 

the  bayonet.  This  occurred  on  the  9th  of  Septem- 
ber, about  two  weeks  before  our  arrival.  Nearly 
three  hours  were  spent  by  the  troops  under  Colonel 
Hughes,  which  consisted  of  a  battalion  of  Maryland 
and  District  of  Columbia  volunteers,  in  climbing  up 
the  steep  ascent.  The  only  way  the  men  could  get 
up,  was  to  pull  themselves  up  by  clinging  to  the 
roots  and  branches  of  shrubs  which  covered  the 
rocks  on  the  hill-side.  Over  one  hundred  Ameri- 
cans were  killed  and  wounded  in  these  various  skir- 
mishes. 

Beyond  the  bridge  is  a  village  which  we  found 
deserted,  and  accordingly  appropriated  the  houses  to 
our  own  use.  The  Fonda  or  hotel  was  taken  by 
the  left  wing  of  our  regiment.  On  a  hill  still  further 
up,  stands  a  beautiful  Mexican  hacienda,  said  to 
have  been  owned  by  General  Santa  Anna.  It  was 
a  fine  building,  and  before  the  war  had  evidently 
been  the  scene  of  refinement  and  luxury.  The  yard 
was  a  gradual  slope,  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall. 
The  portico  in  front  was  wide  and  airy,  and  the 
projecting  roof  was  supported  by  elaborately-painted 
pillars,  which  were  joined  together  at  the  top  by 
highly-finished  arches.  A  long  and  spacions  hall 
ran  through  the  house,  and  on  each  side  were  large 
and  commodious  rooms.  The  stables,  cooking 
houses,  and  rooms  for  the  domestics,  were  back  of 
the  house  and  not  connected  \vith  it.  How  many 
beautiful  sonoritas  had  enlivened  that  hacienda  by 
their  presence,  and  awakened  the  joyous  echoes  by 
their  melodious  laughter!  Here,  too,  perhaps,  the 
dignitaries  of  the  Mexican  Republic  had  assembled, 
and  framed  pronunciamentos  which  were  to.  startlo 


62  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  ix 

a  nation.  It  was  all  deserted  when  I  was  there,  and 
"booted  and  spurred"  American  officers  stalked 
silently  along  the  marble  floors. 

A  portion  of  our  train  was  sent  back  to  Vera  Cruz 
from  this  place,  under  a  strong  guard,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  bringing  up  more  provisions  and  ammuni- 
tion. I  would  not  have  my  readers  think  that  our 
soldiers  had  lived  very  sumptuously  on  the  march — 
far  from  it — our  daily  fare  consisted  of  hard  crackers 
and  fresh  beef  without  salt,  and  I  assure  them  that 
we  lived  four  days  on  fresh  beef  and  water  alone. 

General  Lane  pushed  on  toward  Jalapa,  through 
the  pass  of  Cerro  Gordo,  with  the  whole  brigade 
except  the  left  wing  of  our  regiment,  which  was  left 
to  escort  up  the  train  upon  its  arrival.  Before  the 
General  started,  he  reviewed  all  the  troops  of  the 
command,  which  presented  a  warlike  and  picturesque 
appearance. 

The  left  wing  of  our  regiment,  under  Major 
McCoy,  remained  here  from  the  22d  until  the  28th 
of  September.  Colonel  Hughes  also  remained  with 
his  battalion  to  garrison  the  fort  and  village.  At  this 
place  I  saw  a  sprig  of  European  nobility,  who  ac- 
companied us  to  learn  the  Art  of  War.  His  name 
was  Baron  Von  Grone,  and  he  was  killed  in  Europe 
during  the  revolutions  of  1849. 

One  day  a  detachment  of  our  men  went  out  to  kill 
some  cattle  to  feed  the  troops  on — they  became  some- 
what scattered,  and  Corporal  J.  B.  Agnew,  of  Com- 
pany K,  4th  regiment  of  Indiana  volunteers,  was 
shot  through  the  leg  by  a  party  of  Mexican  guer- 
rillas. He  crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  the 
road,  where  he  was  found  in  a  famishing  condition 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  63 

two  days  afterward,  and  brought  in  by  them.  Hia 
leg  was  amputated  by  the  surgeon  of  Hughes'  bat- 
talion. 

A  party  also  went  out  from  this  place  under  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Dan.  Drake  Henrie,  who  made  his 
escape  from  the  Mexicans  at  Encarnacion,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  a  party  of  guerrillas  prisoners. 
They  were  unsuccessful,  however,  and  returned  homo 
very  much  fatigued. 

The  train  having  arrived  from  Yera  Crnz,  and 
Major  McCoy  having  received  orders  from  General 
Lane  to  join  him  immediately,  we  cooked  a  few 
hard  cakes  from  moldy  and  sour  flour,  and  started 
about  ten  o'clock  at  night  for  the  city  of  Jalapa.  All 
night  we  marched  along  over  the  road,  which  was 
very  rough  and  filled  with  loose  stones.  The  road 
was  ascending  all  the  way,  and  a  more  tedious  and 
disagreeable  night  cannot  well  be  imagined.  Shortly 
after  we  set  out,  we  met  a  party  of  unarmed  Mex- 
icans on  horseback,  who  were  very  civil,  fortunately 
for  themselves,  as  our  men  had  as  lief  killed  them 
as  not.  One  of  them  was  said  to  be  a  brother  of 
General  Soto,  governor  of  the  State  of  Vera  Crnz, 
who,  with  his  brother,  had  been  commanding  parties 
of  guerrillas. 

We  marched  thirty  miles  during  the  night,  and 
arrived  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  at  Plan 
Del  Rio. 

This  place  was  known  to  the  Americans  as  "the 
Broken  Bridge,"  as  the  bridge  which  spanned  the 
stream  on  a  single  arch  had  been  blown  np  by  the 
Mexicans,  who  had  supposed  by  this  means  to  im- 
pede our  progress  toward  the  interior.  A  road  was 


64  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

cnt  around  the  bridge,  and  we  waded  through  the 
river.  Here  we  halted  a  short  time,  and  took  a 
nap,  after  which  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  in 
the  afternoon  passed  the  CJITU  Gordo  battle- field. 

On  the  field  were  yet  remaining  numerous  me- 
mentoes of  the  desperate  fight  which  occurred  here, 
and  cannon-balls,  broken  muskets,  cartridge-boxes, 
etc.,  were  strewed  over  the  broken  and  desolate 
wild.  Beside  the  main  road,  lay  some  pieces  of 
heavy  cannon,  which  had  been  brought  out  by  the 
Mexicans  from  the  Castle  of  Perote ;  they  were 
sawed  in  two,  and  the  cascabels  and  trunnions  were 
sawed  off,  so  as  to  render  them  unfit  for  service. 
Back  of  the  main  battery  on  the  road  was  a  steep 
precipice,  and  the  dead  were  thrown  over  it.  A  few 
bones  lay  along  the  road,  with  here  and  there  a 
skull.  A  long  line  of  abattis  stretched  down  the 
hill  to  the  left,  and  on  the  right  stood  the  Cerro  Tel- 
egrafo.  Cerro  Gordo,  in  Spanish,  means  the  "large 
hill." 

That  night  we  reached  the  ranche  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
where  we  lay  until  the  next  morning.  On  the  30th 
of  September  we  continued  our  march  along  the 
great  Mexican  road,  and  about  two  o'clock,  p.  M., 
entered  the  beautiful  city  of  Jalapa. 

Jalapa  is  deservedly  esteemed  one  of  the  most 
pleasant  towns  in  Mexico,  and  a  more  delightful 
climate  and  more  beautiful  scenery  can  scarcely  be 
imagined.  It  is  situated  on  a  side  hill,  and  is 
surrounded  by  fine  groves  and  well  cultivated  fields. 
It  contains  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is 
celebrated  for  its  handsome  women  and  flowers, 
which  here  reach  the  highest  perfection. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  65 

We  marched  in  through  a  drizzling  rain,  with  wet 
drums  beating  a  most  sorrowful  march,  and  our 
colors  flapping  moodily  against  the  staff.  I  fancied 
the  ladies  smiled  as  they  looked  at  us  from  under 
their  graceful  rebosos — and  well  they  might,  for  our 
appearance  at  that  time  well  merited  the  name  which 
we  had  received  from  them,  which  was  "Barbarians 
of  the  North."  Whatever  our  looks  might  have  been 
there  was  a  number  of  stout-hearted  lads  among  us, 
who  could  easily  forgive  the  smile  occasioned  by 
our  appearance  for  one  precious  tear  of  sympathy. 

Our  battalion  here  joined  General  Lane  again, 
and  was  quartered  in  the  barracks  of  the  National 
Guard. 

Here  we  found  the  troops  of  Major  Lally,  who 
had  had  a  very  severe  time  marching  up  from  Yera 
Cruz.  The  major  had  been  shot  through  the  neck 
by  a  Mexican  ball,  and  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to 
say,  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  perfect  specimens 
of  manhood  I  ever  saw.  Tall,  straight,  and  of  a 
dignified  appearance,  he  was  just  such  a  man  as  I 
should  pick  out  to  lead  a  body  of  troops  through  an 
enemy's  country.  He  had  done  his  duty,  and  the 
fights  he  had  at  Passo  de  Ovejas,  the  National 
Bridge  and  at  Cerro  Gordo,  attested  his  military 
skill  and  proved  the  bravery  of  the  soldiers  under 
his  command.  He  belonged  to  the  9th  regiment  of 
infantry,  and  Colonel  Hansom  of  that  regiment  had 
already  been  killed  at  the  city  of  Mexico.  On  his 
march  up  he  lost  one  hundred  and  five  men  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing,  while  his  whole  force  did  not 
exceed  twelve  hundred. 
6 


66  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IK 

Major  Lally's  command  consisted  of  eleven  com- 
panies of  infantry  of  different  regiments,  two  com- 
panies of  Voltigeurs,  two  six-pounder  cannon,  and 
three  cavalry  companies,  respectively  under  com- 
mand of  Captains  Besanyon,  Fairchild  and  Loyall. 
The  two  former  were  from  Louisiana  and  the  latter 
from  Georgia. 

There  were  a  number  of  brave  officers  with  this 
force,  and  I  will  here  mention  such  of  them  as 
occur  to  me:  Captain  Alvord,  and  Lieutenants 
Bidgeley  and  Russell  of  the  4th  infantry ;  Lieutenant 
Lear  of  the  5th  infantry ;  Captain  Hulter,  of  the  6th 
infantry ;  Captains  Clark,  Wells  and  Hornsby  of  the 
12th  infantry;  Captain  Creanor  and  Lieutenant 
Loring  of  the  llth  infantry  ;  Captain  Winnans  and 
Lieutenants  Wilkins  and  Doyle  of  the  15th  infan- 
try; Lieutenant  Sears  of  the  2d  artillery;  Captain 
Caldwell  and  Lieutenants  Leigh  and  Winder  of  the 
Voltigenrs;  and  Lieutenant  George  Adams  of  the 
marine  corps. 

We  had  but  a  short  time  to  stay  in  this  city,  as 
General  Lane  had  received  word  that  Colonel  Childs, 
who  was  left  with  a  garrison  at  Puebla,  was  in  a 
famishing  condition,  and  had  been  besieged  for  a 
long  time  by  the  Mexicans.  Our  baggage-wagons 
were  repaired,  as  they  had  suffered  various  mishaps 
on  the  road,  and  a  number  of  our  mules  "laid  down 
and  died,"  from  sheer  fatigue.  The  privations 
which  we  suffered  cannot  be  written. 

I  improved  the  opportunity  offered  us,  to  look 
around  the  city  of  Jalapa,  and  though  I  had  formed 
the  highest  opinion  of  its  beauties,  etc.  from  hear- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  67 

say,  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  disappointed  by  its  re- 
alities. There  was  an  old  church  in  the  city  which 
was  commenced  in  the  year  1568,  by  the  Spaniards ; 
it  was  the  perfection  of  architecture,  and  was  adorned 
in  the  most  costly  manner.  The  houses  of  Jalapa 
are  generally  two  stories  high,  though  in  some  of 
the  streets  they  are  one  story,  with  the  everlasting 
iron  grates,  thick  and  heavy  enough  for  a  State's 
prison,  in  front  of  the  windows.  The  senoritas,  when 
behind  these  grated  barriers,  look  like  highly-fin- 
ished wax  figures  set  up  for  show.  The  afternoon 
of  the  day  we  arrived  in  town,  I  heard  some  good 
music  made  by  guitars  and  mandolins,  which  was 
much  superior  to  the  music  at  Rosario  ranche  on 
the  Rio  Grande. 

A  couple  of  officers  of  Wynkoop's  regiment  of 
Pennsylvanians  came  riding  into  town  from  Perote, 
having  been  closely  followed  by  a  party  of  guerrillas. 
They  had  been  outside  of  the  castle  for  the  purpose 
of  exercising  their  horses,  and  getting  a  little  too  far 
out,  their  return  was  cut  off  by  the  guerrillas  and 
they  were  obliged  to  ride  to  Jalapa  which  was  the 
nearest  place  where  there  was  a  body  of  American 
soldiers.  They  seemed  highly  gratified  to  think 
they  had  outrun  the  guerrillas  and  esteemed  it  a 
good  joke  that  they  had  escaped  with  their  lives. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Plants  and  fruits  of  Mexico — Night  in  the  mountains — Anecdote 
of  Gen.  Lane — La  Hoya — Perote — Captain  Samuel  H.  Walker — 
Louisiana  cavalry — Tepiacualca — Fight  with  a  Pork  House— 
Ojo  de  Agua — Santa  Anna — Hacienda  San  Antonio  Tamaris— 
Prospect  of  a  battle — Bivouac. 

I  REGRETTED  very  much  while  in  Mexico,  that  I 
was  not  a  botanist.  The  numerous  plants,  so  new  and 
strange  to  me,  possessed  great  attractions,  and  I  was, 
with  others,  often  led  astray  with  regard  to  their 
names  and  peculiarities.  The  maguey  plant  I  looked 
upon  with  interest,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I 
could  be  brought  to  believe  that  this  was  the  same 
plant  which  I  had  heard  so  much  about  in  New 
York  and  Albany,  a  few  years  ago,  under  the  high- 
sounding  name  of  the  "  Century  Plant,"  which  was 
said  to  blossom  but  once  in  a  hundred  years.  This 
plant  is  called  the  Agave  Americana,  or  American 
Aloe,  and  in  Mexico  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see 
a  fence,  miles  in  length,  made  of  this  stately  shrub. 
A  delicious  drink,  called  pulque,  is  made  of  the  juice 
of  this  plant,  and  is  used  very  extensively  in  Mex- 
ico. It  is  obtained  by  cutting  off  the  flowering  stalk 
just  before  it  blossoms,  and  a  cavity  is  then  formed, 
in  which  the  juice  flows,  and  continues  to  flow  for 
two  or  three  months.  This  juice  is  then  taken  out 

by  the  natives,  who  suck  the  air  out  of  a  long  gourd 
(68; 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  69 

and  let  the  fluid  run  up  into  it.  They  let  this  fluid 
run  into  hogskins,  which  are  lashed  to  the  backs  of 
donkeys,  and  after  getting  them  full,  return  to  the 
haciendas,  where  they  pour  it  into  large  vats  made 
of  cowhides  stretched  upon  bars.  It  is  left  to  fer- 
ment over-night,  and  in  the  morning  is  fit  for  use. 
Unpoetic  as  this  may  seem,  there  is  no  better  drink 
than  pulque  de  pinea,  or  pine-apple  pulque,  which  is 
made  by  grating  pine-apples  into  the  fluid,  and  then 
adding  sugar  enough  to  sweeten  it. 

The  plant  blossoms  in  eight  or  ten  years  after  it 
is  planted,  and  bears  a  number  of  large,  beautiful 
flowers  on  a  stem  eight  or  ten  feet  high.  Paper  and 
ropes  are  made  from  the  leaves,  which  are  from  five' 
to  ten  feet  long,  running  to  a  point,  and  are  two  or 
three  inches  in  thickness.  This  plant  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  to  the  Mexicans. 

The  Convolvulus  Jalapa  is  a  plant  peculiar  to  the 
country  near  the  city  of  Jalapa,  where  it  grows  in 
great  abundance.  The  root  of  this  plant  is  the  drug 
usually  kept  in  our  stores  under  the  name  of  jalap. 
I  took  considerable  pains  to  look  up  this  plant,  and 
found  it  a  long  creeping  vine,  with  handsome  white 
and  blue  flowers. 

The  banana  is  a  fruit  which  grows  in  large  clus- 
ters on  a  species  of  palm  tree.  The  leaves  are  large 
and  feathery,  and  grow  together  on  a  long  stalk. 
Each  leaf  is  six  feet  long,  and  eighteen  or  twenty 
inches  wide. 

The  cochineal  insect,  of  which  I  saw  but  few  in 
Mexico,  is  raised  for  the  purpose  of  export,  on  the 
leaves  of  the  nopal  or  cactus,  which  is  nothing  more 
or  less  than  the  prickly-pear.  The- female  insects  are 


70  GEN.  LANE'S  BBIGADE  IN 

placed  on  different  plants,  on  which  the  young  in- 
sects feed.  In  about  four  months  they  are  brushed 
off  with  squirrels'  or  deers'  tails,  and  deprived  of 
life  by  being  thrown  into  hot  water.  I  never  think 
of  this  insect,  without  having  associated  in  my  mind 
the  question  of  an  old  darkey,  who  came  into  a  store 
one  day,  and  inquired  with  great  earnestness  if  they 
had  any  "  cochineal  seed." 

The  cocoanut  tree  grows  forty  or  sixty  feet  high, 
and  has  large  leaves,  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  long. 
The  tree  bears  annually  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
nuts.  This  is  a  species  of  the  palm.  The  Chinese 
use  the  husks  to  make  cordage  for  their  ships  or 
junks. 

Pine-apples  are  raised  in  great  numbers,  and  may 
be  bought  for  two  or  three  cents  apiece.  The  fruits 
of  the  tropics  grow  in  the  Tierra  Caliente,  or  warm 
climate  near  the  sea-shore ;  and  in  the  Tierra  Tem- 
plada  and  the  Tierra  Frio,  the  fruits  and  vegetables 
of  the  temperate  climates  are  raised  without  diffi- 
culty. Good  wheat,  Indian  corn,  potatos,  apples, 
etc.,  in  addition  to  oranges,  lemons,  figs,  bananas, 
plantains,  sapotes,  etc.,  are  raised  in  and  around  the 
city  of  Puebla. 

At  Jalapa  I  saw  a  large  orange  orchard  inclosed 
by  a  high  stone  wall,  and  unceremoniously  walked 
in  and  helped  myself.  The  trees  were  groaning 
under  the  weight  of  the  golden  fruit,  and  it  would 
have  done  some  of  our  horticulturists  good  to  have 
seen  it.  While  I  with  others  was  busily  engaged 
filling  my  hat  and  handkerchief  with  the  delicious 
fruit,  an  old  Mexican  came  out,  and  spoke  some- 
thing to  us  in  Spanish,  which  was  no  doubt  an  invi- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  71 

tation  to  leave.  This  we  had  no  notion  of  doing, 
and  he  becoming  rather  uproarious,  we  tied  him  to 
a  tree  and  left  him  to  his  own  meditations.  I  do  not 
relate  this  story  because  the  stealing  of  oranges  was 
at  all  creditable,  but  only  do  it  to  show  that  we  were 
nearly  famished,  and  were  bound  by  every  consider- 
ation Of  patriotism  to  keep  the  souls  and  bodies  of 
Uncle  Sam's  men  together.  Hunger  is  a  word  that 
looks  and  sounds  bad  in  any  place,  but  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  term  in  one's  own  system  is  tar,  very  far, 
from  being  agreeable.  Fortune  favors  the  brave, 
and  it  did  in  this  instance,  as  we  returned  to  our 
quarters  well  loaded  with  fruit,  which  I  shared  with 
the  soldiers  of  my  company. 

Captain  Simmons'  men  were  in  the  same  quarters 
with  us,  and  from  his  repeated  acts  of  kindness  to 
them,  I  should  say  that  he  was  a  kind-hearted  and 
generous  man.  Some  officers  are  unnecessarily  severe 
with  the  soldiers  under  their  command,  and  petty 
tyranny  seems  to  be  their  greatest  delight.  We  had 
a  few  such  in  our  command,  and  fortunately  they 
were  but  few. 

The  night  of  the  30th  of  September  we  lay  in  the 
damp  quarters  which  had  recently  been  occupied  by 
Mexican  soldiers,  and  prepared  ourselves  to  renew 
our  toilsome  and  tedious  march  on  the  following  day. 
There  was  no  singing  or  joking  that  night  in  the 
barracks,  and  the  men  seemed  steeled  against  every 
emotion.  Life  and  death  were  alike  immaterial  to 
them,  and  true  bravery,  which  is  the  very  opposite 
of  braggadocio,  had  many  an  honorable  representa- 
tive in  our  little  band.  We  were  now  cut  off  from 
all  succor,  and  understood  plainly  that  we  had  to 


72  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

depend  on  ourselves  alone.  The  honor  of  our  coun- 
try was  to  a  certain  extent  in  our  hands,  and  we  all 
determined  to  open  the  road  to  Gen.  Scott's  army — 
or  die. 

A  little  afternoon  on  the  1st  of  October,  our  force 
left  Jalapa  in  one  of  the  hardest  rains  I  ever  wit- 
nessed. We  were  accompanied  by  Major  Lally's 
command,  with  the  exception  of  Captain  Fairchilds' 
company  of  Louisiana  cavalry,  and  the  sick  and 
wounded,  which  were  left  behind.  The  rain  fell  in 
torrents,  and  after  crossing  a  high  ridge  near  the 
city,  and  coming  into  a  valley,  we  found  the  whole 
face  of  the  country  completely  inundated.  It  seemed 
like  entering  into  a  great  lake,  and  the  water  on  the 
road  was  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  deep.  The  men 
marched  sullenly  along,  shielding  their  muskets  as 
well  as  they  could  with  their  jackets  and  blankets. 
The  cavalry  was  a  pitiful  sight,  and  their  blue  over- 
coats were  dripping  wet. 

Before  night  we  came  upon  high  ground,  and 
commenced  the  ascent  of  the  steep  and  rocky  Cor- 
dillera mountains,  which  are  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  Andes  of  South  America  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  No  sound  broke  the  stillness,  save  the 
clinking  of  our  accouterments,  and  the  rough  jolting 
of  the  baggage-wagons  and  artillery  carriages,  as 
they  crushed  under  their  wheels  the  stones  which 
lay  in  our  road. 

Darkness  came  upon  us  suddenly,  and  without 
tents  or  fires  we  halted  to  spend  the  night.  Our 
men  had  taken  the  precaution,  before  leaving  Jala- 
pa,  to  put  four  days'  provisions  in  their  haversacks, 
and  now  in  the  darkness  they  prepared  to  eat  their 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  73 

suppers.  It  was  most  gloomy,  and  perhaps  a  body 
of  men  never  underwent  greater  exposure. 

It  was  at  this  place  that  an  occurrence  took  place, 
which  goes  further  to  illustrate  General  Lane's  char- 
acter than  a  hundred  long-winded  speeches.  Lane 
had,  in  common  with  most  of  the  officers,  no  supper, 
and  going  out  in  the  darkness  came  upon  a  party 
of  soldiers  who  were  eating,  and  asked  them  for 
something  to  eat.  They  supposed  he  was  an  old 
soldier  by  his  dress,  which  was  a  blue  overcoat  and 
black  hat,  and  unceremoniously  told  him  to  leave, 
that  they  would  not  give  him  any.  One  of  the  sol- 
diers, knowing  Lane's  voice,  told  his  comrades  in  a 
whisper,  that  it  was  General  Lane.  Immediately 
two  or  three  of  them  stepped  forward  and  offered 
their  bread  and  beef  to  him.  lie  would  not  accept 
any,  saying  at  the  same  time  to  them — "  I  do  not 
wish  your  food,  and  will  not  accept  it.  When  you 
supposed  I  was  a  poor  hungry  soldier,  you  would 
not  give  me  any;  but  when  you  found  I  was  a  gene- 
ral, you  were  perfectly  willing  to  share  with  me.  I 
am  no  better  than  any  other  old  soldier."  This  was 
a  severe  rebuke,  and  the  men  felt  it  keenly.  They 
were  always  afterward  ready  to  share  their  last  crust 
with  any  one. 

The  mud  and  water  were  deep,  and  wrapping  our 
blankets  around  us,  we  lay  down  in  them  to  rest 
ourselves : 

"  To  sleep  ; — 
To  sleep !  perchance  to  dream  ; — ay,  there's  the  rnb." 

Yet  sleep  we  did,  and  though  the  water  trickled 
down  our  clothes,  and  froze  the  marrow  in  our 

7 


74  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

bones,  we  slept ;  and  the  rolling  thunders  sang  our 
lullaby. 

After  our  night  in  the  Cordilleras,  we  started 
again,  thanking  Providence  that  the  sun  had  once 
more  illuminated  the  earth.  We  pressed  on,  over  a 
road  of  pumice-stone,  which  had  been  cast  out  by 
some  terrible  volcanic  fire.  The  whole  earth  had  a 
charred  and  blackened  appearance,  and  had,  no 
doubt,  been  one  day  a  crater. 

Along  the  road  were  rude  crosses  erected,  to  show 
that  on  the  spot  some  human  being  had  met  a  death 
of  violence.  How  many  hundred  I  saw  in  Mexico  ! 

During  the  day  we  went  through  the  i4  Black 
Pass,"  and  encamped  at  the  village  of  La  Hoya. 
At  this  village  we  found  seven  pieces  of  iron  can- 
non which  had  been  taken  from  the  Mexicans  in  the 
summer.  They  were  all  spiked  and  rendered  unfit 
for  service  by  the  troops  of  Brig.-Gen.  Cadwallader. 

The  march  all  day  had  been  through  a  dense  fog, 
which  lay  close  down  along  the  mountain  tops,  and 
kept  us  continually  cold,  wet,  and  chilly.  We 
marched  into  the  village,  and  as  usual  took  posses- 
sion. A  one-eyed  butcher,  who  had  been  a  Mier 
prisoner,  supplied  us  with  beef,  and  if  he  could  not 
glut  his  vengeance  on  the  Mexicans,  he  certainly  did 
upon  their  cattle. 

While  at  La  Hoya,  a  party  of  our  soldiers  ascend- 
ed a  high  and  rocky  eminence  to  the  left  of  our 
bivouac,  and  found  on  the  summit  a  little  plat  of 
ground  which  a  poor  Mexican  had  cultivated  in 
order  to  raise  corn  enough  to  support  himself,  his 
wife,  and  his  children.  The  corn  was  immediately 
seized  by  our  half-famished  soldiers,  and  in  spite  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  75 

the  pitiful  appeals  of  the  old  Mexican,  and  the  tears 
of  his  ninos,  carried  oft*  down  to  the  fires  and  speedily 
devoured.  In  the  morning  the  Mexican  came  down 
and  laid  his  grievances  before  General  Lane,  who 
ordered  the  quartermaster  to  pay  him.  This  was 
done,  and  Lane  inquired  how  much  he  had  paid  the 
Mexican.  "  I  have  paid  him,"  said  the  quarter- 
master, "the  highest  market  price  paid  for  corn, 
which  amounted  to  fifty  dollars."  "  That  is  not 
enough,"  said  the  general ;  and  turning  to  an  aid- 
de-camp,  he  ordered  him  to  go  to  his  trunk  and  get 
fifty  dollars  of  his  own  private  money,  which  he 
paid  over  to  the  poor  old  Mexican,  who  went  away 
breathing  blessings  upon  the  name  of  the  brave  and 
generous  American  commander. 

After  another  restless  night,  we  got  our  long  train 
straightened  out,  and  pursued  our  march.  As  we 
were  starting  out,  a  number  of  our  soldiers  near  a 
spring  were  fired  on  by  a  party  of  Mexicans,  killing 
one  and  wounding  two  others.  This  fire  was  re- 
turned, and  the  cavalry,  which  was  near-by,  charged 
upon  the  retreating  Greasers.  A  run  of  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  left  five  of  their  party  stretched  upon 
the  ground. 

We  marched  to  Cruz  Blanco,  or  the  White  Cross, 
where  we  stayed  over-night.  At  this  village  we  had 
a  tough  time,  as  the  baggage-wagons  broke  down  in 
the  road,  and  we  were  left  without  any  mess-pans  or 
camp-kettles  to  cook  our  meat  in.  I  took  a  party  of 
soldiers  and  went  back  to  find  our  wagon ;  after  a 
long  search  we  found  it  and  got  what  we  wanted. 
Col.  Brough,  with  his  regiment,  was  trying  to  get 
the  train  along,  and  his  clear  ringing  voice  rose 


76  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  ix 

high  above  the  din  around  him.  It  was  Bitchy 
dark,  and  one  of  our  soldiers,  named  Richard  Iludd, 
fell  off  a  bank  about  twenty  feet  high,  and  hurt 
himself  severely. 

The  next  day  we  continued  our  march,  and  had  a 
fine  view  of  numerous  mountains,  among  which 
conspicuously  rose  the  Peak  of  Orizaba,  which  we 
had  seen  out  at  sea,  the  Cofre  de  Perote,  and  the 
Peak  of  Tepiacualca.  The  road  now  became  more 
level,  and  a  ray  of  sunshine  again  gladdened  the 
earth  as  well  as  our  own  hearts.  Our  men  were 
ordered  to  "  close  up,"  and  all  the  stragglers  were 
obliged  to  fall  into  the  lines.  Our  bands,  one  belong- 
ing to  the  4th  Ohio,  and  one  to  our  own  regiment, 
got  out  their  instruments,  and  to  the  good  old  tune 
of  "  Yankee  Doodle"  we  marched  briskly  into  the 
noted  town  of  Perote,  where  we  halted  about  eleven 
o'clock,  A.  M.  The  officers  were  quartered  in  the 
house  of  a  fleshy  and  good-natured  Mexican. 

It  was  the  4th  day  of  October  when  we  reached 
Perote,  and  after  resting  awhile,  I  went  out  to  take 
some  items.  The  town  is  a  very  inferior-looking 
place,  containing  about  three  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  houses  are  generally  one  story  high,  and  built 
'of  adobes,  or  sun-dried  bricks,  and  very  strong.  The 
town  is  filled  with  execrable  looking  fellows  who  no 
doubt  live  by  robbery  and  plunder. 

The  castle  of  Perote  is  a  splendid  work,  though  it 
looks  odd  enough  to  see  such  an  immense  fortifica- 
tion situated  alone  on  an  extensive  plain,  and  so  far 
inland.  It  stands  about  a  mile  from  town,  and 
there  is  a  good  road  leading  to  it.  The  castle  covers 
an  area  of  over  twenty  acres,  and  was  completed  by 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  77 

the  Spanish  government  in  1776;  it  is  of  stone, 
strongly  built,  and  commands  the  country  for  miles 
around.  It  is  the  second  fortification  in  point  of 
strength  in  Mexico  ;  San  Juan  d'Ulloa  being  first. 
I  went  through  the  castle,  and  had  an  interesting 
time  of  it,  Major  Bowman  of  the  1st  regiment  of 
Pennsylvanians  piloting  me  through. 

Here  I  became  acquainted  with  Captain  Samuel 
II.  Walker,  of  the  regiment  of  mounted  riflemen, 
and  while  talking  with  him  I  little  supposed  that 
this  daring  man,  who  had  won  such  a  reputation 
for  himself  as  a  Texan  ranger,  was  so  near  the  end 
of  his  earthly  career.  He  was  about  the  medium 
size,  writh  light  hair  and  a  mild  expression  of  coun- 
tenance. Walker  was  born,  I  believe,  in  Marylandf 
and  emigrated  at  an  early  age  to  Texas.  When  I 
saw  him,  he  must  have  been  about  thirty  years  old. 
When  nineteen  vears  of  age,  he  enlisted  in  the  vol- 

v  O       7 

unteers,  and  served  one  campaign  in  the  Creek  war, 
after  which  he  went  to  Florida.  He  was  in  the  Mier 
expedition  under  Colonel  Fisher,  where  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Mexicans,  and  sent  to  the  city  of 
Mexico.  He  made  his  escape  from  the  prison  of 
Tacubaya,  near  the  city,  and  after  suffering  great 
hardships  finally  arrived  safe  at  Tampico;  from  here 
he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  thence  returned  to 
Texas.  After  serving  in  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto, 
Resaca  de  la  Palma  and  Monterey,  as  a  Texan  ran- 
ger, he  was  appointed  by  the  U.  S.  government  a 
captain  in  the  Mounted  Rifles.  His  company  was 
at  that  time  in  the  castle,  and  was  a  remarkably 
well-drilled  corps. 

In  the  castle  were  a  number  of  wounded  men,  who 


78  GEN.  LANE'S  BBIGADE  IN 

had  lost  their  legs  and  arms  at  the  battle  of  Cerro 
Gordo.  There  was  also  a  company  made  up  of  sick 
men  who  had  become  convalescent,  that  were  left 
behind  when  the  different  commands  passed  up. 
These  were  mustered  together,  and  enjoyed  the  eu- 
phonious name  of  "  Diarrhea  Blues." 

General  Lane  received  information  at  this  place, 
that  General  Santa  Anna  was  concentrating  a  large 
force  between  Perote  and  Pucbla,  for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  him.  He  therefore  wished  to  strengthen 
his  command  as  much  as  possible,  and  for  that  pur- 
pose ordered  Colonel  Wynkoop  to  go  with  him,  with 
four  companies  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regiment,  the 
other  six  companies  of  the  regiment  being  then  at 
Puebla,  under  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Black.  He 
also  ordered  Captain  Walker  to  go  with  him  with 
his  company,  which  was  Company  C,  Regiment 
Mounted  Riflemen. 

General  Lane's  command  was,  with  the  addition 
of  those  who  joined  him  at  Perote,  about  three 
thousand  three  hundred  strong,  with  seven  pieces 
of  artillery.  This  was  rather  a  formidable  force,  and 
was  ready  for  action  at  any  moment.  The  whole 
body  was  well  drilled,  and  they  asked  for  nothing 
more  than  to  be  brought  into  action. 

When  I  returned  to  my  quarters,  I  found  my  two 
most  intimate  friends,  First  Lieuts.  C.  C.  Graham 
and  A.  B.  B.  Lewis,  busily  engaged  over  an  old 
grindstone,  in  sharpening  their  sabres.  Graham's 
highest  ambition  was  to  '« take  a  Greaser  a  whack" 
while  Lewis's  eyes  fairly  twinkled  as  ho  thought 
about  it.  These  -nafcn  were  whole-souled  fellows, 
and  were  my  most  intimate  companions  while  in  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  79 

service.  We  were  of  the  same  grade,  and  though 
they  were  both  somewhat  older  than  myself,  we  were 
always  sociable,  and  were  called  in  the  regiment  the 
"  three  twins."  Graham  was  a  Kentuckian,  and 
Lewis  exulted  in  being  "  the  first  white  child  born 
in  Madison."  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to 
grind  my  sabre,  and  soon  made  the  fire  fairly  fly 
off  the  edge  of  it.  When  we  had  got  them  suffi- 
ciently sharpened,  we  went  into  the  house,  and 
opening  Lewis'  mess-chest,  enjoyed  a  quiet  evening 
meal. 

In  these  pages  I  have  frequently  mentioned  the 
Mier  expedition,  and  have  named  two  individuals 
who  were  connected  with  it;  the  first  was  the  one- 
eyed  butcher  at  La  Hoya,  and  the  second  was  Cap- 
tain Walker.  There  was  another  man  in  our  brigade, 
who  belonged  to  Captain  Lewis'  company,  who  had 
also  been  a  Mier  prisoner.  This  man  "was  nick- 
named "  Wild  Jack,"  and  he  certainly  deserved  the 
appellation.  Quick  in  the  chase  and  ever  ready  to 
vault  into  his  saddle,  he  was  a  very  demon  in  a 
charge;  but  off  duty  he  maintained  a  remarkably 
quiet  deportment,  and  was  intrusted  with  many  im- 
portant missions  by  the  officers.  He  had  been  many 
years  in  the  Texan  service,  and  wron  for  himself  a 
high  reputation  as  a  ranger. 

Captain  Lewis  of  Louisiana,  or  as  he  was  com- 
monly styled,  "  the  Count,"  was  a  daring  and  excel- 
lent officer,  and  took  more  pride  in  having  his  men 
appear  well,  than  any  man  I  saw  in  the  service.  His 
was,  indeed,  a  fine  company,  and  all  the  men  rode 
large  bay  horses,  brought  from  the  United  States. 
"  The  Count"  was  a  finished  gentleman,  and  ab- 


80  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

horred  mean  acts.  His  first  lieutenant  was  Christo- 
pher Lilly,  and  for  this  man  I  never  entertained  a 
good  opinion.  His  pugilistic  encounter  with  M'Coy, 
in  a  prize  fight  at  New  York,  some  few  years  ago, 
always  arose  in  my  mind  at  the  sight  of  him.  It 
will  be  recollected  that  he  killed  M'Coy.  Some  ex- 
cuse may  be  offered  for  Lilly  in  this  aifair,  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  very  young  at  that  time,  and  was 
urged  on  by  a  body  of  men  older  than  himself.  His 
bravery  cannot  be  questioned.  The  second  lieuten- 
ants of  this  company  were  both  killed.  As  already 
mentioned,  Lieut.  Cline  was  killed  at  Passo  de  Ove- 
jas,  on  the  22d  of  September,  and  Lieut.  Henderson 
was  killed  near  a  place  called  Matacordera,  not  far 
from  Vera  Cruz,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1848,  in 
a  guerrilla  skirmish. 

After  leaving  our  sick  men  in  the  castle,  our  whole 
command  moved  out  of  the  town  of  Perote  on  the 
5th  of  October,  and  took  up  the  line  of  march  to- 
ward Puebla.  It  was  again  very  hot  weather,  and 
our  route  was  along  an  extensive  sand-plain  with  no 
•water.  A  pack  of  cuyotes,  or  Mexican  wolves, 
moved  along  the  plain  parallel  with  us,  and  about  a 
mile  distant.  Blood  was  their  object,  and  if  a  poor 
soldier  died  by  the  road-side,  his  carcass  was  speed- 
ily devoured  by  them.  They  continued  with  us  all 
day,  and  licked  their  gaunt  jaws  in  anticipation  of  a 
meal  of  human  flesh.  On  tne  march  we  suffered 
the  most  intense  thirst,  and  steaming  hot  water  from 
the  india  rubber  canteens  of  our  men,  brought  any 
price  the  possessor  chose  to  ask  for  it.  Water  was 
that  day  sold  for  five  dollars  a  drink,  to  my  know- 
ledge. We  marched  thirty  miles  without  stopping, 


CENTRAL   MEXICO.  81 

and  when  we  did  halt  at  the  town  of  Tepiacualca, 
the  commanders  of  regiments  and  battalions  were 
obliged  to  send  out  empty  wagons  to  bring  in  the 
men  who  had  dropped  down  from  fatigue  in  the  road. 
The  wagons  gathered  them  up,  and  three  of  them 
were  found  dead!  This  is  truth,  and  every  man 
who  belonged  to  our  brigade  knows  it  to  be  so. 

Shortly  after  reaching  the  town,  a  number  of  ex- 
plosions were  heard  which  resembled  the  firing  of 
cannon,  and  we  supposed  that  the  castle  had  been 
attacked  by  the  Mexicans.  The  sound  approached 
nearer  to  us,  and  as  it  came  on  appeared  to  be  sub- 
terraneous. The  mystery  was  soon  solved  when  we 
reflected  that  we  were  in  the  land  of  volcanoes, 
where  such  sounds  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  I  was 
not  alarmed  by  the  rumbling,  and  if  the  truth  must 
be  told  was  rather  anxious  to  see  an  active  volcano, 
spouting  fire  and  brimstone;  and  did  not  care  to 
feel  the  effects  of  an  earthquake,  provided  it  was  as 
light  as  possible  and  not  dangerous. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  desc'ribe  the  village,  as  all 
villages  look  alike  in  Mexico.  To  build  a  town, 
three  things  are  absolutely  necessary:  which  are — a 
few  adobe  houses,  a  plaza,  and  a  stone  church  built 
in  the  Gothic  style.  A  few  inhabitants  are  required 
in  time  of  peace,  but  in  war  they  all  vamose.  In  the 
houses  we  took  possession  of  the  kitchens,  and  tore 
off  rafters  and  other  wooden  parts  of  the  buildings, 
wherever  we  could  find  them,  to  build  fires  in  the 
little  furnaces.  Coffee  was  a  staple  article  of  diet, 
and  was  drank  boiling  hot  out  of  tin  cups.  The 
first  coffee  I  saw  growing,  was  on  Santa  Anna's 
farm,  about  thirty  miles  from  Yera  Cruz.  It  grows 


£2  GEN.  LAXE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

on  a  bush  about  eighteen  feet  high,  and  the  coffee 
kernel  itself  is  in  a  red  pod,  the  size  and  shape  of  a 
cherry.  There  are  two  kernels  in  each  pod.  These 
pods  are  picked  off,  and  the  kernels  are  then  laid 
in  the  sun  and  dried.  Having  disposed  of  my  coffee, 
I  will  return  to  the  village  of  Tepiacualca,  which  is 
situated  in  the  state  of  Puebla,  between  the  18th  and 
20th  degrees  of  north  latitude. 

Of  course  we  rested  well  after  our  march,  and  I 
sincerely  pitied  our  men  who  were  obliged  to  stand 
guard.  But  it  was  necessary  for  some  one  to  do  it, 
aa  we  had  seen  a  body  of  regular  Mexican  lancers 
far  off  on  the  plain  during  the  day,  who  were  watch- 
ing our  movements. 

On  the  6th  of  October  we  marched  to  a  hacienda, 
built  close  to  the  edge  of  a-long  row  of  hills,  where 
we  halted  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  to 
stay  all  night.  It  had  been  clear  and  pleasant  wea- 
ther, and  we  did  not  suffer  as  much  as  usual.  It 
soon  became  noised  about  among  our  men  that  a 
large,  high  inclosure,  which  stood  near-by,  was  filled 
with  hogs.  Pennsylvanians,  Ohioans,  Indianians 
and  regulars  were  on  the  qui  vive  for  some  pork, 
and,  secretly  breaking  into  the  inclosure,  our  val- 
iant soldiers  commenced  an  indiscriminate  slaughter 
of  the  luckless  porkers.  Bowie-knives  and  bayonets 
were  in  active  demand,  and  in  the  short  space  of 
fifteen  minutes  over  three  hundred  hogs  were  but- 
chered in  cold  blood.  The  owner  of  the  stock,  who 
was  a  plethoric  old  Mexican,  moved  himself  as  fast 
as  he  could  to  General  Lane's  quarters,  and  reported 
the  fact  that  the  men  were  butchering  his  hogs.  Up 
to  this  time,  the  greatest  secrecy  had  prevailed 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  S3 

among  the  butchers,  and  every  man  who  approached 
the  slaughtering-pen  was  immediately  supplied  gratia 
with  a  fine  fat  porker.  As  it  had  begun  to  get 
dark,  the  men  wrere  enabled  to  carry  the  pork  to 
their  messes,  where  they  hid  it  under  their  blan- 
kets, etc. 

As  soon  as  the  general  heard  of  the  affair,  he 
immediately  sallied  out,  and  I  believe  I  never  saw 
him  more  angry.  All  the  officers  were  ignorant  of 
what  was  going  on,  but  that  made  no  difference. 
Lane  gave  the  colonels,  lieutenant-colonels  and  ma- 
jors a  most  severe  lecture;  and  these  worthies  in 
turn  poured  it  in  upon  the  captains  and  lieutenants, 
who,  not  to  be  behindhand,  railed  against  the  ser- 
geants and  corporals,  and  they  against  the  men ; 
but,  as  the  pork  was  dead,  they  laughed  in  their 
sleeves,  and  professed  the  most  heartfelt  ignorance 
and  innocence.  Lane  said  he  would  buck  and  gag 
every  man  who  was  engaged  in  the  affair,  but  as 
every  man  was  in  it,  this  mode  of  punishing  three 
thousand  was  not  feasible.  lie  then  ordered  the 
company  officers  to  go  into  their  companies  and  fish 
out  what  pork  was  concealed.  Accordingly,  wre  went 
round  and  questioned  our  men,  who,  to  believe  their 
stories,  knew  nothing  about  the  matter.  1  asked 
Tom  Murphy,  a  noted  thief  in  our  company,  whether 
he  had  any.  He  was  lying,  at  that  time,  on  a  pile  of 
blankets,  from  under  which  I  saw  what  very  much 
resembled  a  pig's  foot.  "  No,  sir,"  said  he,  in  reply, 
"  I  ?m  too  tired  to  be  in  such  a  scrape  as  that  to- 
night." I  told  him  I  did  not  wish  to  be  deceived, 
and  he  with  the  utmost  nonchalance  requested  to  be 
searched.  As  I  wished  some  of  the  pork  myself,  I 


84  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

did  not  search  him,  and  the  result  was  I  had  a  good 
supper.  Some  eight  or  ten  hogs  were  found  and 
returned  dead  to  the  owner,  who  was  minus  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty.  How  Lane  settled  with  him  I  am 
unable  to  say,  as  I  never  felt  particularly  anxious  to 
inquire  into  it. 

While  the  pork  excitement  was  at  its  zenith, 
Captain  "Wells,  of  the  12th  infantry,  was  organizing 
and  mounting  a  strong  guard,  which  was  stationed 
around  our  bivouac.  Tents  being,  at  this  time,  a 
pleasing  vision  of  the  past,  cavalry  pickets  were 
sent  out,  and  with  a  feeling  of  absolute  security  we 
went  to  rest.  Whether  we  had  any  music  that  night 
I  cannot  say,  as  we  were  all  too  full  of  suppressed 
laughter  at  the  result  of  the  pork-fight  to  heed  any- 
thing else.  Private  George  Creson,  of  our  company, 
had  been  particularly  officious  at  the  hog-pen,  and 
related  with  the  utmost  zest,  in  my  hearing,  though 
he  did  not  know  it,  his  exploits  of  blood,  at  the  same 
time  flourishing  a  huge  bowie-knife,  with  which  he 
had  cut  the  throats  of  numerous  porkers.  George 
was  the  hero  of  his  mess  that  evening. 

Thursday,  Oct.  Ith.  We  marched  from  the 
"hog  pen"  to  a  village,  the  name  of  which  I  can- 
not now  recollect,  and  passed  Ojo  de  Agua  to  our 
left.  The  springs,  at  this  place,  are  in  themselves 
great  curiosities,  boiling  hot  water  bubbling  up  in 
abundance  from  the  earth,  while  but  a  short  distance 
off  may  be  found  streamlets  gushing  from  the  moun- 
tains of  pure  cool  water.  The  name  Ojo  de  Agua, 
which  means  "  eye  of  the  water,"  was  given  to  it 
by  the  Spanish,  on  account  of  this  singular  phe- 
nomenon. At  the  little  village  where  we  stayed 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  85 

over-night,  were  a  few  poverty-stricken  Mexicans, 
who  told  us  that  General  Santa  Anna,  with  four  or 
five  thousand  regular  Mexican  soldiers,  was  but  a 
short  distance  oft',  preparing  to  give  us  a  warm  re- 
ception into  the  interior.  This  was  rather  pleasing 
news,  and  we  all  wished  to  be  brought  into  a  general 
field  engagement. 

General  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna  was  at 
that  time  President  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  and 
having  been  defeated  by  General  Scott  at  the  City 
of  Mexico,  and  being  unable  to  take  the  force  of 
Col.  Childs  at  the  City  of  Puebla,  he  had  come 
down  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  us,  and  prevent- 
ing, if  possible,  our  junction  with  the  troops  at 
Puebla.  Santa  Anna  was  born  in  the  State  of 
Vera  Cruz.  His  name  is  associated  with  many 
scenes  of  the  Mexican  Revolution,  and  he  is  gene- 
rally considered  the  most  talented  man  that  coun- 
try has  yet  produced.  The  limits  of  this  work 
will  not  permit  me  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  his 
life,  or  of  his  many  romantic  military  operations. 
He  was  taken  prisoner  by  Gen.  Sam  Houston  at  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto,  and  his  life  was  preserved 
with  considerable  difficulty.  It  is  said  that  he  and 
Houston  were  both  ividoios'1  sons.  At  the  bombard- 
ment of  Vera  Cruz  by  the  French,  in  1833,  he  lost 
a  leg.  His  subsequent  history  is  well  known,  and 
he  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men 
in  America. 

In  anticipation  of  going  into  battle  soon,  I  went 
to  the  mess  of  private  soldiers,  whom  I  had  myself 
recruited,  and  spent  an  hour  or  two  with  them, 
talking  of  home  and  making  such  arrangements  as 


86  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

were  necessary  in  case  any  of  us  were  killed.  The 
men  of  this  mess  were  John  Miller,  John  Barrett, 
Mark  McGraw  and  Samuel  Miller — all  from  Fulton 
County,  Indiana.  They  were  all  privates,  but  better 
men  and  more  trusty  fellows  were  not  in  the  United 
States'  army.  One  of  them,  Mark  McGraw,  now 
sleeps  in  the  cold  earth,  but  his  memory  is  cherished 
in  the  warmest  and  brightest  recessess  of  my  breast. 
John  Miller,  too,  has  my  lasting  friendship,  and 
maintains  well  his  reputation  for  valor.  He  was 
stuck  by  a  Mexican  lance,  and  wounded  while  going 
into  Pnebla.  but  paid  the  debt  with  interest.  In  an 
Indian  fight  in  California,  since  the  war,  he  killed 
three  Indians  who  were  pressing  on  him  too  closely. 
With  these  men  1  spent  a  social  hour,  smoking  a 
short  campaigning  pipe,  to  keep  up  my  spirits  and 
drive  away  the  u  blue  devils  "  in  the  curling  wreaths. 
Friendship  is  cemented  more  firmly  in  the  army,  thau 
in  any  place  on  earth.  A  man's  heart  is  there  laid 
open,  and  whatever  of  good  or  evil  there  is  in  it, 
makes  its  appearance.  Harmony  is  the  strength 
and  support  of  all  institutions,  but  more  especially 
do  we  feel  it  there. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  we  again  took  up  our  line 
of  march,  and  about  noon  reached  a  hacienda,  where 
we  stopped  to  get  some  water.  Tom  Silsbee  of 
Tennessee,  who  was  an  old  campaigner  in  Yucatan, 
was  acting  as  Lane's  interpreter ;  he  was  a  gay  fel- 
low, and  1  recollect  we  emptied  his  flask  for  him  at 
this  place.  A  party  of  lancers  had  just  been  there 
before  us,  under  command  of  Major  Victor  Bravo; 
they  were  watching  our  movements,  but  had  sense 
enough  to  keep  out  of  our  way.  It  became  evident, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  87 

at  this  place,  that  not  many  more  suns  would  roll 
round  before  we  should  have  a  chance  to  display 
our  valor.  The  Mexicans  whom  we  met  along  at 
different  places  betrayed  it  in  their  looks,  and  every 
few  miles  we  could  see  parties  of  lancers  riding 
before  us,  and  hiding  here  and  there  in  the  groves  of 
timber.  At  three  or  four  o'clock,  we  passed  through 
a  handsome  village  and  descended  into  a  level  and 
rich  valley,  where  the  land  was  well  cultivated,  and 
cut  up  into  corn  fields,  fenced  with  the  maguey 
plant.  We  had  a  slight  shower,  though  not  enough 
to  wet  us  very  much,  and  about  sundown  halted  at 
the  hacienda  of  San  Antonio  Tamaris.  The  train 
of  wagons  was  closed  in  close  to  the  walls  of  the 
hacienda,  and  the  cannon  placed  in  position,  so  that 
they  could  be  used  at  any  point  without  causing 
confusion.  General  Lane  sent  out  a  number  of 
Mexican  spies,  and  offered  them  large  sums  of 
money  if  they  would  find  out  where  Santa  Anna 
was  before  morning.  Three  miles  beyond  the  haci- 
enda was  the  village  of  Napaloucan,  and  the  tones 
of  the  vesper-bell  sounded  sweetly  and  told  of  repose 
in  that  land  of  rest.  To  many  of  our  men  that  was 
the  last  evening  on  earth  ! 

In  a  short  time  after  our  arrival  the  arms  of  our 
soldiers  were  stacked,  and  bright  fires  kindled  along 
the  lines.  Our  evening  meal  was  prepared,  and 
disposed  of,  and  wrapping  our  blankets  around  us, 
we  lay  down  on  the  ground  to  rest  our  weary  limbs. 
The  quiet  stars  twinkled  in  the  sky,  and  I  looked 
at  the  big  dipper  and  north  star,  thinking  the  while 
if  somebody  that  I  knew  was  looking  at  them  at 
the  same  time. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Preparations  for  battle — Battle  of  Huamantla — Incidents — Captain 
Walker  killed — Col.  La  Vega  and  Major  Iturbide — Thanks  of 
Gen.  Lane  to  his  soldiers — Our  killed  and  wounded  —  Poley 
shot — Col.  Charles  H.  Brough — Pinel  Pass — Attack  on  4th  Ohio 
regiment — Virgin  of  Guadalupe — Legend — Gen.  La  Vega — 
Colonel  Willis  A.  Gorman — Amasoque. 

EAKLY  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  October,  1847, 
we  were  roused  from  our  slumbers  by  the  rattling  of 
infantry  drums  and  the  mellow  strains  of  cavalry 
bugles,  which  broke  the  stillness  of  the  scene,  and 
the  martial  sounds  reverberated  along  the  valley  in 
which  we  were  bivouacked.  The  sun  rose  in  the 
east  in  glorious  majesty,  shedding  his  soft  rays  over 
the  earth,  and  gilding  the  peaks  of  the  distant  moun- 
tains, the  church  spires  in  the  neighboring  villages, 
the  white- walled  haciendas  and  dark  groves  upon 
the  hill-sides,  till  all  resembled  a  sheen  of  gold. 
The  soldiers  rose  from  their  hard  beds  amid  the 
damp  grass,  and  quickly  falling  into  the  ranks,  the 
rolls  were  called.  After  which  they  prepared  their 
morning  meal  of  hard  crackers  and  coffee,  and  ac- 
coutering  themselves  in  their  mud-covered  belts,  the 
lines  were  again  formed.  By  this  time,  a  rumor 
spread  through  the  division  that  we  were  to  have  a 
fight  with  General  Santa  Anna,  as  the  spies  had 
returned  and  reported  his  whereabouts.  Everybody 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  89 

seemed  to  be  delighted  at  the  idea  of  meeting  that 
celebrated  chieftain,  and  more  than  one  hope  was 
registered  that  we  might  succeed  in  capturing  him. 

An  order  was  given  for  Col.  Brough  and  the  4th 
Ohio  regiment,  with  Captain  Simmons'  battalion  and 
Lieut.  Pratt's  battery  of  artillery,  to  remain  at  the 
hacienda  to  guard  the  baggage,  as  we  were  to  march 
some  distance  off  the  main  road  to  meet  the  Mexi- 
can troops.  The  Buckeye  boys  did  not  relish  this 
arrangement  much;  but  there  was  no  alternative, 
and  they  submitted  with  as  good  a  grace  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  remaining  troops  of  the  command,  having 
piled  up  their  knapsacks  near  the  hacienda,  werd 
ordered  to  move  forward.  They  started  about  10 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  Captain  Walker  leading  the  van  with 
his  own  company  of  mounted  riflemen,  two  compa- 
nies of  Louisiana  cavalry,  under  Captains  Besangon 
and  Lewis,  and  one  company  of  Georgia  cavalry 
under  Captain  Loyall.  The  4th  regiment  of  Indiana 
volunteers  followed  next  in  line,  then  four  companies 
of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regiment,  with  Taylor's 
battery  of  artillery,  consisting  of  five  pieces  of  can- 
non. Major  Lally,  of  the  9th  infantry,  although 
wounded,  came  next,  with  his  battalion,  and  Heint- 
zelman,  with  his  battalion  of  regulars,  brought  up 
the  rear.  The  whole  force  numbered  something 
more  than  two  thousand  men. 

With  our  banners  gayly  rustling  in  the  breeze,  we 
moved  steadily  on  through  burning  sands  and  clouds 
of  dust  for  about  ten  miles,  when  the  cavalry  dashed 
off  ahead  and  was  soon  out  of  sight.  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Lane,  the  American  LANNES,  rode  along  with 
8 


90  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

his  staff  to  the  head  of  the  column,  and  gave  the 
order  for  the  infantry  to  move  forward  in  double 
quick  time.  Tired  as  our  men  were,  they  obeyed 
the  order  with  alacrity,  at  the  same  time  giving 
three  cheers  for  "  Old  Joe  of  Buena  Vista."  A  few 
moments  after,  we  heard  the  firing  of  carbines  and 
the  roar  of  cannon,  and  knew  that  Walker  was  en- 
gaged with  the  enemy.  We  were  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  the  city  of  Huamantla,  and  in  plain 
sight  of  it. 

A  large  force  of  Mexican  lancers  was  now  seen  at 
our  left,  coming  on  at  full  speed  toward  Huamantla. 
They  made  a  most  magnificent  appearance,  dressed 
as  they  were  in  red  and  green  uniforms,  and  I  never 
beheld  a  more  animating  display.  Their  long  and 
bright  lances  reflected  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
flashed  like  a  sea  of  diamonds.  The  crimson  pen- 
nons of  their  lances  fluttered  gracefully  from  the 
staffs,  while  above  the  rest  was  the  national  flag  of 
Mexico;  this  is  a  green,  white  and  red  tri-color,  with 
the  Aztec  eagle  in  the  center. 

Now  ensued  a  scene  scarcely  to  be  described — 
each  party  striving  to  reach  the  city  first,  for  upon 
it  depended  the  fate  of  our  cavalry.  They  were  on 
horseback  and  we  on  foot.  The  efforts  of  our  men 
were  almost  superhuman,  and  blood  gushed  from  the 
nostrils  of  many  of  us  as  we  tore  along  through  the 
thick  maguey  fields.  The  Mexicans  lashed  their 
steeds  with  perfect  fury,  and  the  poor  horses  were 
completely  covered  with  foam  and  perspiration. 

They  reached  the  city  before  us,  and  a  maddening 
cry  of  disappointment  burst  from  our  enraged  sol- 
diers.  Our  pace  was  not  slackened  until  we  reached 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  91 

the  upper  end  of  a  street  which  leads  into  the  plaza, 
where  we  halted  to  get  breath.  At  this  place,  a 
mounted  rifleman  rode  toward  us  bare-headed,  and 
as  his  horse  halted  by  us,  he  tore  open  his  blue 
jacket  with  a  convulsive  grasp,  revealing  on  hia 
bosom  a  number  of  ghastly  wounds,  and  pitched  for- 
ward dead. 

The  Indiana  regiment  was  divided  at  this  point; 
the  right  wing,  under  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  with  the 
regimental  colors,  was  sent  forward  into  the  plaza; 
while  the  left  wing,  under  Col.  Gorman  and  Major 
McCoy,  marched  round  to  the  suburbs  of  the  city, 
and  formed  in  line  of  battle  in  a  corn-field.  Col. 
"Wynkoop,  with  the  Pennsylvanians  and  artillery, 
moved  to  the  east  part  of  the  town ;  Heintzelman's 
battalion  to  the  right,  and  Major  Lally's  battalion 
was  halted  in  reserve. 

The  lancers  were  driven  out  of  town  by  the  force 
of  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont  and  the  remnant  of  the  caval- 
ry, directly  in  front  of  the  left  wing  of  the  Indiana 
regiment  to  which  I  was  attached.  Our  colonel 
gave  the  orders — "Ready!  aim!  fire!"  in  quick 
succession,  and  a  sheet  of  flame  belched  from  our 
muskets.  The  Mexican  force  was  completely  rid- 
dled, and  men  and  horses  rolled  over  one  another  in 
frantic  confusion  before  us.  The  affair  was  quickly 
over,  and  the  blue,  sulphurous  smoke  rose  up  and 
hung  above  us  like  a  pall.  Horses,  riders  and  dead 
men  lay  on  the  ground,  and  with  a  sigh  at  the  work 
of  destruction,  we  marched  back  into  the  road.  Our 
men  were  still — the  awe  of  death  was  before  them! 

The  colors  of  the  Indiana  regiment  were  placed 
on  the  arsenal  in  the  plaza  before  the  enemy  was 


92  GEN.   LANE'S  BBIOADE  IN 

fairly  out,  and  the  color-guard,  composed  of  Ser- 
geants Macom,  Woodard  and  Evans,  killed  some 
Mexicans  who  attempted  to  keep  them  off  the  build- 
ing. 

When  Captain  "Walker  charged  into  the  plaza  at 
the  head  of  the  cavalry,  he  found  a  body  of  Mexican 
artillery  and  infantry.  After  a  tierce  encounter  they 
fled,  leaving  three  pieces  of  cannon  in  the  hands  of 
the  Americans.  Every  officer  and  soldier  behaved 
with  the  greatest  gallantry.  Supposing  the  conflict 
was  over,  they  were  resting  themselves,  when  the 
overwhelming  force  of  Mexican  lancers,  two  thou- 
sand in  number,  commanded  by  Generals  Santa 
Anna  and  Torrejon,  dashed  into  the  plaza.  The 
cavalry,  being  unable  to  withstand  them,  sought 
refuge  in  a  church-yard,  which  had  a  high  stone  wall 
around  it.  Captain  Walker  wished  to  preserve  the 
cannon  which  he  had  captured,  and  exposed  him- 
self. He  was  struck  almost  at  the  same  instant  by 
two  escopette  balls,  one  of  which  passed  through  his 
head  and  the  other  through  his  breast.  He  fell 
back,  and  died  instantly.  The  Mexicans  re-captured 
one  piece  of  cannon,  which  they  carried  off,  and  lost 
a  great  many  men.  Besangon's  company  was  cut 
off  from  the  main  body  of  Americans,  but  grasping 
his  saber  more  firmly,  and  shouting  to  his  men,  he 
dashed  through  the  Mexican  lines  like  a  whirlwind. 

Lane  exhibited  much  emotion  when  he  heard  of 
Walker's  death,  and  it  made  us  all  feel  gloomy. 
His  own  men  wept  like  children,  and  their  stout 
hearts  were  melted. 

Lieutenant  Anderson,  with  a  party  of  Georgians, 
captured  Col.  La  Vega  and  Major  Iturbide,  narrowly 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  93 

4 

escaping  with  his  own  life.  There  were  many  acts 
of  heroism  displayed,  and  Walker's  company  came 
out  of  the  fight  with  only  twelve  men  uninjured. 

After  taking  a  great  many  prisoners  who  had  con- 
cealed themselves  in  the  houses,  we  marched  into 
the  plaza,  where  lay  a  number  of  dead  bodies,  and 
rested  ourselves  from  the  fatigues  of  the  conflict.  I 
was  gratified  to  think  I  had  been  in  battle,  and 
escaped  uninjured ;  but  for  our  own  and  the  Mexican 
dead  and  wounded,  I  had  the  most  heartfelt  sorrow. 
One  poor  lancer  lay  stretched  out  beside  me,  and  as 
I  studied  his  youthful  features,  and  thought  that  he 
too  had  a  home,  friends  and  kindred,  I  could  not  but 
feel  that  war  was  horrible — ten  times  more  horrible 
than  can  be  conceived  of — and  when  stripped  of  its 
gay  panoply,  is  a  grinning,  ghastly  demon.  I  had  no 
desire  to  take  anything,  aside  from  a  few  cakes  which 
we  found  in  a  bakery. 

All  around  me  was  desolation  and  ruin.  The  fine 
houses  were,  many  of  them,  torn  open,  and  the  bru- 
tal soldiers  wrapped  themselves  in  costly  silks.  In 
the  arsenal  a  large  amount  of  ammunition  was  found, 
which  was  by  General  Lane's  order  destroyed.  A 
fine  fountain  in  the  plaza  was  filled  with  gunpowder, 
which  rendered  the  water  unfit  for  use,  and  it  was 
scattered  on  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three 
inches.  In  this  the  soldiers  were  stalking  around, 
smoking  cigars  which  they  had  taken,  unconscious 
of  danger,  and  caring  little  whether  they  were  blown 
up  or  not. 

This  was  the  last  battle  Santa  Anna  fought  against 
the  Americans  during  the  war.  He  made  his  escape 
with  a  few  lancers,  and  retired  to  Tehuacan.  The 


94  GEN.  LAKE'S  BEIGADE  is 

"  Napoleon  of  the  South"  could  not  withstand  the 
Americans  in  battle;  his  men  were  always  sadly  cut 
to  pieces,  and  the  iron  arms  of  the  Northmen  com- 
mitted sad  havoc  among  them. 

Our  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  was 
forty-two  men;  the  Mexican  loss  exceeded  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  The  Mexicans  themselves  told  mo 
that  after  the  battle  a  number  of  our  men  were  killed, 
who  had  got  drunk  and  remained  behind  after  onr 
force  left  the  city.  I  have  no  doubt  but  sucli  was 
the  case. 

Toward  night  the  different  corps  were  assembled 
in  the  plaza,  and  placing  onr  killed  and  wounded  in 
wagons,  we  marched  out  of  the  city.  Captain 
Walker's  body  was  carried  back  to  the  hacienda  in 
a  coach  belonging  to  the  Catholic  priests  of  Hua- 
mantla. 

The  command  halted  about  three  miles  from  the 
city  until  morning,  when  it  marched  to  the  hacienda. 

The  prisoners  taken  were  kept  with  us.  Major 
Augustin  de  Iturbide,  son  of  the  old  emperor  of 
Mexico,  and  aid-de-camp  to  General  Santa  Anna 
during  the  battle,  was  a  man,  I  should  judge,  at  that 
time  about  thirty  years  of  age,  stout,  robust  and 
hearty,  middling-sized,  and  of  a  jovial  turn  of  mind. 
He  conversed  well  in  English,  and  received  his  first 
military  training  at  the  school  of  Captain  Partridge,  in 
Norwich,  Connecticut.  I  have  been  told,  by  one  who 
was  his  classmate  at  that  time,  that  he  was  a  slov- 
enly scholar,  and  did  not  stand  very  well  among  his 
fellows.  However  that  may  be,  we  treated  him 
well,  and  hope  he  had  no  cause  of  regret  for  falling 
into  our  hands. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  95 

Colonel  La  Vega,  another  prisoner,  was  a  brother 
of  Gen.  La  Vega,  who  behaved  so  well  at  Ilesaca 
de  la  Pal  ma.  lie  was  a  very  gentlemanly  man,  and 
was  scarred  in  a  dreadful  manner  in  the  face,  by  an 
explosion  of  gunpowder.  I  recollect  him  for  his 
seared  face,  and  as  being  the  most  accomplished 
billiard  player  I  ever  saw.  He  was  said  to  be  an 
expert  artillery  officer. 

All  the  regular  officers  engaged  in  this  battle  re- 
ceived from  the  president  a  brevet  rank.  Lane 
was  made  a  brevet  major-general ;  Captains  Heint- 
zelman  and  Taylor  were  made  brevet  majors,  and 
Lieut.  II.  B.  Field,  3d  artillery,  and  Lieut.  Clai- 
borne,  of  Walker's  company,  were  made  brevet  cap- 
tains. Others  were  breveted,  but  I  do  not  recollect 
their  names.  The  volunteers,  who  behaved  bravely, 
of  course  received  no  brevets. 

We  had  two  very  handsome  brass  pieces  which 
we  had  taken  from  the  enemy;  the  first  was  a  six- 
pounder,  well  mounted  ;  the  second  a  mountain  how- 
itzer. 

When  Lane  reached  Puebla,  he  issued  the  follow- 
ing order: — 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  PUEBLA, 
Puebla,  Oct.  1847. 

"  Orders  No.  61. 

"  The  General  commanding  desires  in  the  warm- 
est manner  to  thank  the  troops  under  his  command 
for  their  gallant  conduct  in  the  late  battle  of  Hna- 
mantla.  Fatigued  by  a  long  and  arduous  march,  yet 
all  pressed  forward  in  the  most  eager  manner  to 
share  in  the  danger.  Although  victory  is  ours,  our 


96  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

joy  is  saddened  by  the  loss  of  mauy  brave  men 
Captain  Walker,  than  whom  a  braver  or  better  sol- 
dier never  lived,  nobly  full  in  front  of  the  enemy. 
Returning  his  thanks,  the  general  feels  assured  that 
•when  occasion  ofi'ers,  the  same  enthusiasm  will  again 
prevail. 

"  By  order  of  Brigadier-General  Lane. 

"  HENRY  B.  SEARS,  Lieut.  &  A.  A.  A.  G." 

The  night  we  lay  on  the  plain  was  cool  and  pleas- 
ant, and  by  way  of  luxury  I  pulled  the  end-board 
out  of  a  baggage- wagon,  and  slept  well  thereon  till 
morning.  I  had  a  fine  lancer's  horse  which  I  had 
taken  in  the  fight,  and  after  attending  to  him  well, 
and  tieing  him  securely,  left  him.  Reveille  sounded, 
and  early  on  Sunday  morning,  Oct.  10th,  we  found 
ourselves  back  at  the  hacienda  of  San  Antonio  Ta- 
maris,  with  the  dead,  wounded,  and  trophies  of 
victory. 

At  the  hacienda,  the  dead  men  of  our  command 
were  laid  out  in  a  row  in  a  room.  I  went  in,  and 
there  lay  Walker,  with  the  dried  blood  in  streams 
over  his  face,  and  his  faithful  slave  David,  who  was 
killed  with  him,  not  far  off.  Merriken,  Glanding, 
Hugenin,  Tarbox,  Rickey,  Richardson,  Smith,  Mc- 
Lean, Wall,  Birch  and  Teedman,  who  were  also 
killed,  lay  stretched  out  in  their  bluejackets,  await- 
ing burial.  We  had  no  coffins,  and  a  large  pit  was 
dug,  in  which  all  the  dead  men  were  placed. 

Captain  Walker  was  buried  alone,  and  his  body 

;  was  afterward  moved  to  Texas.     One  company  of 

Ohio  volunteers,  under  Captain  Robinson,  fired  three 

.vollies  of  musketry  over  his  grave,  and  the  mortal 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  97 

remains  of  that  gallant  officer,  were  left  in  silent 
repose.  The  funeral  service  was  read  by  Colonel 
Wynkoop. 

The  missing  men  were,  as  far  as  could  be  ascer- 
tained, as  follows,  viz:— Sergeant  Gosling,  privates 
Dement,  Darlington,  Collins,  McCleerey,  Richards, 
Brockholst,  Lienburg,  Leland,  and  Murphy. 

Our  wounded  men  were  well  cared  for,  and  when 
we  moved  on  to  Puebla,  were  provided  with  com- 
fortable beds  in  ambulances.  Sergeant  Russell,  of 
the  2d  dragoons,  was  badly  wounded  in  the  leg  by 
a  lance,  he  having  been  temporarily  attached  to 
Walker's  company.  Private  Raborg  of  the  Rifles 
lost  his  leg,  and  privates  Macham,  Welsh,  Wayne, 
McGill,  Scott,  and  Myers,  also  of  the  Rifles,  were 
wounded.  Privates  Forneley  and  Milton,  of  the 
Georgia  Cavalry,  and  Murrey  and  Stetson,  of  the 
Louisiana  Cavalry,  were  likewise  wounded.  In 
the  4th  regiment  of  Indiana  volunteers,  2d  Lieut. 
Charles  Tansey  was  badly  hurt,  and  died  shortly 
after  we  reached  Puebla.  Private  George  W.  Wal- 
ters, Co.  K;  Josiah  Bailey,  Co.  C;  musician  Finch, 
Co.  E,  and  privates  Martin  Dormar  and  Peter 
Campbell  of  Co.  I,  were  also  wounded.  Private 
Andrew  Hattenstine,  of  Co  D,  4th  Ohio  volunteers, 
serving  with  our  regiment,  was  wounded  and  had 
his  leg  cut  off  afterward. 

The  hacienda  had  been,  during  the  battle  of  Hua- 
mantla,  in  charge  of  Colonel  Brough,  who  confident- 
ly expected  a  fight  with  the  Mexicans ;  the  lancers 
appeared  on  the  plain,  but  seeing  the  firm  and  un- 
flinching appearance  of  the  Ohio  boys,  they  very 
wisely  considered  "  discretion  as  the  better  part  of 
9 


98  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

valor,"  and  moved  off.  Colonel  Charles  H.  Brongh, 
of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Marietta,  Washington  county,  Ohio,  about  the 
year  1814.  At  an  early  age  he  married  Miss 
Abigail  W.  Ames,  of  Belpre,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  settled  in  Lancaster,  where  he  commenced 
publishing  a  newspaper,  called  the  Ohio  Eagle. 
In  1840  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  his 
native  State,  and  after  serving  until  the  expiration 
of  his  term,  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
became  the  owner  and  first  Editor  of  the  Cincinnati 
Enquirer.  He  was  a  practical  printer,  and  after- 
ward studied  law.  In  the  autumn  of  1S42  he  was 
elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Hamilton  county, 
and  after  serving  one  term  was  re-elected.  He  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office  faithfully  and  won 
the  esteem  of  the  whole  community.  He  became 
Colonel  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment  in  the  spring  of 

1847,  and  after  his  return  to  the  United  States,  in 

1848,  he  was  elected  Presiding  Judge  of  the  Court 
of   Common  Pleas   of   Hamilton   County,   by  the 
Legislature  of  the  State.     His  career  was  brought 
suddenly  to  a  close  by  an  attack  of  cholera,  on  the 
16th  day  of  May,  1849,  at  Cincinnati.     He  died 
universally  regretted,  and  left  on  earth  no  enemies. 
Brough  was  a  noble  fellow,  and  had  he  lived  would 
have  made  his  mark  even  more  plainly  than  he  did 
on  the  monument  of  time. 

Toward  evening  we  inarched  to  the  town  of 
Napaloucan.  It  seemed  that  blood  must  be  shed  at 
every  step  of  our  march,  and  in  the  short  distance 
of  three  miles  between  the  hacienda  and  Napalou- 
can a  cruel  tragedy  was  enacted.  As  we  were 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  99 

starting  out  a  wagon-master  named  Poley,  rode  up 
to  an  insolent  and  disobedient  teamster,  and  instant- 
ly gave  him  a  blow  across  his  face  with  a  heavy 
riding-whip.  The  teamster  jumped  off  his  mule, 
ran  and  seized  a  musket  which  was  in  the  hands  of 
a  sick  soldier  who  was  lying  in  one  of  the  wagons, 
and  rushing  toward  Polev,  fired  the  musket,  shatter- 

o  ••    t 

ing  his  arm,  and  the  ball  passed  through  the  abdo- 
men of  another  teamster,  who  was  on  a  mule  in 
range.  I  marched  by  with  my  company  shortly 
afterward,  and  the  surgeons  were  cutting  Poley '3 
arm  off,  and  the  unfortunate  teamster  who  had  been 
shot,  was  just  dying.  Two  days  after  our  arrival 
in  Puebla,  the  teamster  who  fired  the  shot,  was 
hung  in  the  grand  plaza. 

After  witnessing  this  sickening  sight,  we  went 
along  and  stumbled  upon  the  bodies  of  two  Ameri- 
can soldiers,  who  had  been  killed  the  day  before.  I 
was  mounted  on  a  fiery  little  mustang  pony,  which 
General  Lane  had  given  me,  and  was  obliged  to 
turn  over  my  handsome  lancer's  horse,  which  I 
had  taken  at  Huamantla,  to  the  quartermaster. 
We'  took  possession  of  Napaloucan,  which  General 
Santa  Anna  had  occupied  two  days  before,  and 
barricaded  all  the  principal  streets  which  led  into 
the  main  plaza.  Our  sentinels  challenged  every- 
thing that  came  anywhere  near  them,  and  strong 
patrol  guards  traversed  the  streets  of  the  town,  in 
all  directions,  during  the  night ;  the  white  cover- 
ings of  our  baggage-wagons,  with  here  and  there 
little  fires  of  cypress  wood*,  surrounded  by  groups 
of  bearded  soldiers,  forming  a  picturesque  scene  in 
the  plaza.  The  incidents  of  the  late  battle  were 


100  GEN.  LAKE'S  BEIGADE  IN 

talked  over  and  expatiated  upon  by  onr  soldiers, 
who  all  looked  upon  themselves  as  great  heroes. 
The  brayings  of  our  mules  would  now  and  then 
break  in  upon  their  fine  discourses,  and  destroy  the 
effect  of  their  heroic  exploits. 

1  was  quartered  in  a  stone  house,  on  one  side  of 
the  plaza,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  lying  upon  a 
clean  and  comfortable  bed,  for  the  first  time  in 
months.  While  enjoying  the  luxury  of  white  sheets 
and  soft  blankets,  my  two  friends,  Abe  Lewis  and 
Chris.  Graham,  came  in  with  a  box  of  sardines,  and 
a  bottle  of  cogniac.  The  Mexican  lady  of  the 
house  gave  us  some  bread,  and  falling  upon  our 
sardines  we  made  an  excellent  supper.  Graham 
told  some  capital  anecdotes,  and  '"  methinks  I  see 
him  now"  sitting  upon  a  little  stool,  with  his  blue 
foraging-cap  cocked  knowingly  over  one  eye,  anc 
his  long  sabre  resting  on  his  kness.  After  a  pleas 
ing  hour,  in  contrast  with  what  we  had  recently 
been  through,  we  retired  to  our  inviting  couches. 

During  the  night,  a  party  of  Mexican  lancers 
rode  up  to  the  barricades,  and  our  sentinels  fired 
upon  them.  The  cavalry  was  soon  on  the  alert, 
and  the  infantry -regiments  placed  under  arms  as 
Santa  Anna  was  in  the  neighborhood,  and  intend- 
ing to  attack  us  again.  We  were  under  arms  some 
time  in  the  dark  and  cloudy  night,  and  no  enemy 
appearing  to  molest  us,  we  again  returned  to  the 
houses  and  went  to  sleep. 

We  resumed  our  march  on  the  llth  of  October, 
and  passed  through  the  Pinel  Pass  during  the  day. 
Here  Santa  Anna  had  intended  to  attack  us,  but 
General  Lane  was  too  wide  awake  to  suffer  anv  such 


CENTRAL  MEXICO,  101 

thing,  lie  had  brought  on  the  engagement  at 
Huamantla  on  purpose  to  divide  the  Mexican  troops, 
and,  as  before  stated,  we  captured  their  artillery, 
with  the  exception  of  one  piece.  The  pass  was  well 
guarded,  and  barricades  were  thrown  across  the  road 
in  a  number  of  places.  The  road  ran  along  the  side 
of  a  mountain ;  the  left  side  being  a  very  steep 
ascent,  and  the  right  was  a  deep  precipice.  If  the 
Mexican  chief  had  got  us  in  there,  I  am  of  opinion 
that  very  few  Americans  would  have  been  left  to  tell 
of  the  struggle  at  the  Pinel  pass. 

In  going  through  we  met  with  no  opposition, 
though  after  we  had  passed,  a  body  of  Mexicans 
fired  a  volley  at  us,  which  wounded  one  soldier  be- 
longing to  the  Ohio  regiment.  His  name  was  Pri- 
vate Eckert,  Co.  H.  Our  regiment  was  formed  in 
line  of  battle  immediately,  and  halted  in  the  road. 
Col.  Brough  threw  out  six  companies  of  skirmishers 
to  scour  the  side  of  the  mountain  nearest  to  us,  but 
after  a  search  of  half  an  hour  they  returned,  and  the 
enemy  retired. 

We  went  through  a  village  called  Acahete,  and 
found  a  few  Mexicans  whom  we  took  with  us.  The 
houses  of  Mexico  are  all  flat-roofed,  and  generally 
built  of  stone.  In  the  country  they  are  one  story 
high,  and  in  the  cities  two.  Inside,  the  \valls  are 
adorned  with  various  little  pictures,  in  small  wooden 
frames,  and  numerous  crosses  are  hanging  up  around 
the  rooms.  The  Virgin  of  Guadalupe,  the  patron 
saint  of  Mexico,  is  the  most  conspicuous  in  the  col- 
lection of  saints,  and  I  can  scarcely  recollect  a  house 
in  Mexico,  which  had  not  her  picture  hung  up  in  ci 
little  frame. 


102  GEN.   LAKE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

The  legend  of  Guadalupe  is  a  beautiful  story,  and 
I  cannot  do  better  than  to  introduce  it  in  this  place, 
as  it  will  serve  to  relieve  these  pages,  which  are  al- 
ready crimson  with  blood.  Our  loss,  thus  far,  had 
been  fifty-six  killed,  wounded  and  so  forth,  and  add- 
ing the  loss  of  Major  Lally's  command,  it  amounted 
in  all  to  one  hundred  and  sixty -one  men.  But  I 
commenced  telling  the  story  of  Guadalupe,  which  I 
will  give  in  the  language  of  Cardinal  de  Lorenzano, 
Archbishop  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Mex- 
ico, as  preached  by  him  in  1760,  and  since  translat- 
ed by  Brantz  Mayer. 

"  In  the  year  1531,  ten  years  and  four  months 
after  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  the  Holy  Virgin  of 
Guadalupe  appeared  on  the  mountain  of  Tepeyac. 
The  matter  occurred  thus:  On  the  9th  of  December 
of  that  year,  the  adventurous  Indian,  Juan  Diego, 
a  native  of  Quatititlan,  went  to  Tlaltelolco  to  study 
the  Christian  doctrine,  inasmuch  as  it  was  there 
taught  by  certain  holy  Franciscan  monks.  Passing 
by  the  mountain,  the  Most  Holy  Virgin  appeared, 
and  told  him  to  go,  in  her  name,  to  the  illustrious 
Bishop  Don  Francisco  Juan  de  Zummarraga,  and 
say,  that  she  desired  him  to  come  and  worship  on 
that  spot.  On  the  10th  of  the  same  month,  Juan 
Diego  returned  to  the  mountain,  and  the  Holy  Vir- 
gin again  appeared,  asking  him  the  result  of  his 
commission.  Diego  replied,  that  notwithstanding 
his  efforts,  he  could  not  obtain  admission  to  the 
bishop.  Then  the  Virgin  answered — '  Return,  and 
tell  him  that  I,  Mary  the  Mother  of  God,  have  sent 
you!'  Juan  Diego  carefully  executed  the  order,  but 
Senor  Zummarraga  refused  him  credence  ;  his  only 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  108 

reply  being,  that  he  must  havo  some  token  to  sat- 
isfy him  of  the  verity  of  the  annunciation.  Again 
Juan  Diego  returned  to  the  mountain  with  this  mes- 
sage of  the  bishop,  and  delivered  it  to  the  Holy  Vir- 
gin, who  appeared  on  the  12th  of  December,  for  the 
third  time.  She  ordered  him  then  to  ascend  the 
mountain  of  Tepeyac,  cut  roses,  and  bring  them  to 
her.  The  humble  and  happy  messenger  went,  not- 
withstanding he  knew  full  well  that  on  the  mountain 
there  was  not  only  no  roses,  but  no  vegetation  of 
any  kind.  Nevertheless  he  found  the  flowers  and 
brought  them  to  Mary !  She  threw  them  in  the  tilma 
(a  part  of  Indian  dress),  and  said  to  him :  '  Return 
once  more  to  the  bishop,  and  tell  him  that  these 
flowers  are  the  credentials  of  your  mission.'  Accord- 
ingly, Juan  Diego  immediately  departed  for  the 
episcopal  residence,  which,  it  is  said,  was  then  in  the 
house  called  the  Hospital  del  Amor  de  Dios ;  and 
when  he  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  prelate, 
he  unfolded  his  tilma  to  present  the  roses,  when,  lo! 
there  appeared  on  the  rude,  garment  that  Messed 
picture  of  the  Virgin,  which  now,  after  centuries, 
still  exists,  without  having  suffered  the  slightest  in- 
jury !  Then  the  illustrious  bishop  took  the  imago 
and  placed  it  in  his  oratory.  It  is  now  in  the  Col- 
legiate Church.  The  Virgin  appeared  again,  a 
fourth  time,  to  the  Indian.  She  then  restored  to 
health  his  uncle,  named  Juan  Bernardino,  and  told 
Diego — '  The  image  on  thy  tilma  I  wish  called  the 
Virgin  of  Guadalupe.' " 

The  church  of  Guadalupe  is  situated  on  a  hill 
about  three  miles  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  on  the 
spot  where  the  Virgin  appeared  to  the  Indian,  Juan 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Diego.  The  shrine  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  in  the 
world,  and  the  anniversary  of  her  appearance  is  cel- 
ebrated each  year  on  the  12th  of  December.  The 
name  is  very  popular  among  the  ladies  of  Mexico, 
and  each  family  has  its  Guadalupe,  or  'Lupe,  as 
they  abbreviate  it. 

Brantz  Mayer  says  of  the  church — "  The  altar  at 
the  north  end,  and  the  canopy  and  pillars  around  it, 
are  of  the  finest  marble.  Above  it,  in  a  frame  of 
gold,  with  a  crystal  plate,  is  the  figure  of  the  Virgin 
painted  on  the  Indian's  tilma.  On  each  side  of  the 
image,  within  the  frame  and  extending  its  whole 
length,  are  strips  of  gold  literally  crusted  with  eme- 
ralds, diamonds  and  pearls.  At  the  fact  of  the  figure 
there  are  again  large  clusters  of  thq  same  costly 
gems.  From  each  side  of  the  frame  issues  a  circle 
of  golden  rays,  while  above  it,  as  if  floating  in  the 
air,  hangs  the  figure  of  a  dove,  of  solid  silver,  as 
large  as  an  eagle!" 

Having  finished  the  description  of  Guadalupe,  and 
its  legend,  which  is  believed  by  every  Mexican,  I  will 
return  to  my  regiment,  and  toil  with  them  "  on  the 
lone  war-path  dark  and  drear."  About  the  hour  of 
midnight  we  reached  the  town  of  Amasoque,  and 
took  up  quarters  in  a  large  building  which  had  been 
used  as  a  stable  for  mules  and  horses.  Our  little 
bundles  of  cedar,  which  the  Indians  had  brought  in 
and  sold  to  the  quartermaster,  were  lit  up,  and  we 
cooked  a  good  supper  of  crackers  and  coffee,  which 
tasted  delicious  after  our  long  march  of  thirty  miles. 

Although  it  was  late  when  we  arrived  in  town,  I 
went  to  Col.  Gorman's  quarters,  and  there  wa* 
treated  to  a  nice  cup  of  chocolate  which  the  lady  ot 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  105 

the  house  prepared  for  us.  The  room  in  which  we 
assembled  was  neatly,  and  even  luxuriously,  finished; 
the  walls  were  high  and  painted  with  brilliant  colors, 
and  the  rafters  over-head,  which  supported  the  flat 
roof  covered  with  cement,  were  carved  in  an  elabor- 
ate manner.  A  number  of  lounges  or  sofas  were 
scattered  around  the  room,  and  a  large  mirror  reflect- 
ed the  whole  scene.  Flower-pots,  filled  with  the 
choicest  flowers,  were  scattered  about,  and  the  air 
was  filled  with  their  fragrance.  A  table  was  spread, 
and  around  it  were  a  number  of  officers — among 
them,  Gen.  Lane,  Col.  "Wynkoop,  Col.  Brough,  Col. 
Gorman,  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  Col.  La  Vega,  Major 
Lally  and  Major  Iturbide.  The  Mexican  owner  of 
the  house,  who  by  the  way  was  a  gentleman,  tried 
to  make  everything  comfortable,  and  his  chocolate 
and  sweet  biscuit  found  a  good  market  with  us. 
Major  Iturbide  spoke  English  very  well,  and  related 
a  number  of  anecdotes.  His  father  ascended  the 
imperial  throne  of  Mexico  in  the  year  1821,  at  the 
close  of  the  first  revolution,  and  after  a  short  and 
troubled  reign  was  obliged  to  leave  the  country  and 
abdicate  the  throne.  He  sailed  for  Leghorn  in  1823, 
and  met  with  no  insult  from  his  own  people,  who 
could  not  but  respect  him  for  his  bravery,  and  the 
great  services  which  he  had  rendered  to  Mexico  in 
the  hour  of  trial.  He  was  provided  with  ample 
means  to  support  himself  and  family.  After  he  left 
Mexico,  General  Victoria  was  elected  first  president 
of  the  republic,  and  Iturbide,  returning  to  his  own 
country,  was  seized  by  a  body  of  soldiers,  and  im- 
mediately shot.  It  is  supposed  that  this  act  was 
done  without  the  authority  of  Victoria,  and  the 


106  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  iy 

nation  felt  deeply  grieved  at  his  loss.  His  son  was 
with  me  that  evening,  and  I  could  not  but  reflect 
upon  the  melancholy  career  of  the  father. 

Among  the  prisoners  taken  at  Huamantla  was  a 
young  cadet  who  had  been  at  the  terrible  battle  of 
Chapultepec,  and  made  his  escape.  He  was  scarcely 
more  than  fifteen  years  old,  though  he  had  passed 
already  through  more  trying  scenes  than  ordinarily 
occur  in  a  long  lifetime.  He  seemed  to  be  a  merry 
fellow,  and  the  dark  gloom  of  war  had  left  no  trace 
upon  his  brow.  The  cadets  at  the  Military  School 
of  Chapultepec,  under  General  Monterede,  behaved 
in  the  most  daring  manner,  and  some  soldiers  who 
were  far  their  seniors  in  years  would  have  done  well 
if  they  had  followed  their  example.  The  castle  of 
Chapultepec  was  taken  on  the  18th  of  September, 
1847. 

I  had  forgotten  to  mention  that  I  saw  at  Perote 
the  celebrated  General  La  Vega.  He  was  a  prisoner 
of  war,  and  lived  on  parole  in  the  town.  La  Vega 
was  first  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  and  sent  to  the  United  States ;  he  was  after- 
ward exchanged  for  Commander  Carpenter  of  the 
U.  S.  Navy,  and  returned  to  the  Mexican  army. 
Carpenter  was  taken  by  the  Mexicans  in  August, 
1846,  in  consequence  of  his  vessel,  the  Trnxton  brig 
of  10  guns,  being  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Mexico. 
La  Vega  led  a  brigade  of  Mexican  troops  at  the 
battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  where  he  was  again  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Americans,  and  chose  to  remain  at 
Perote.  General  Vega  was  a  brave  officer,  and  the 
Mexicans  themselves  were  very  proud  of  him.  They 
always  spoke  of  him  as  '  un  soldado  mucho  valiente.' 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  107 

My  highest  ambition,  while  in  the  service,  was  to 
get  to  be  an  officer  of  artillery.  Lane  had  offered 
to  make  me  his  aid-de-camp,  and  Gorman  had 
offered  me  the  adjutancy  of  the  regiment.  These  I 
refused,  and  only  asked  to  be  placed  in  the  artillery. 
Both  of  these  men  exerted  themselves  for  me,  and  I 
subsequently  gained  that  which  I  most  coveted.  I 
was  placed  in  the  artillery,  and  a  few  weeks  after- 
ward my  captain  was  killed,  and  left  me  in  com- 
mand of  a  battery  of  bronze  guns,  that  I  loved  with 
all  the  ardor  of  a  devotee.  But  as  I  must  speak  of 
that  in  the  order  in  which  it  occurred,  I  will  leave 
the  subject. 

General  Lane  I  have  already  noticed,  and  men- 
tioned some  of  the  most  prominent  events  of  his  life. 
It  is  my  duty  to  speak  of  Colonel  Gorman — as  he 
was  always  my  friend,  and  treated  me  as  though  I 
had  been  a  younger  brother.  Willis  A.  Gorman 
was  born  in  Fleming  co.,  Kentucky,  and  removed 
while  young  to  the  state  of  Indiana,  where  he  studied 
law.  He  represented  Monroe  county  in  the  General 
Assembly,  and  acquired  considerable  reputation  as  a 
speaker.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican 
war,  he  joined  the  3d  regiment  of  Indiana  volun- 
teers, and  was  elected  major.  At  the  battle  of  Bu- 
ena  Vista,  where  he  was  wounded,  he  commanded 
a  battalion  of  riflemen,  and  received  the  praise  of 
General  Taylor  for  his  good  conduct.  lie  became 
colonel  of  our  regiment,  as  already  stated,  and  to  use 
the  words  of  a  celebrated  writer,  "  he  distinguished 
himself  for  his  efficiency  as  an  officer,  and  his  regi- 
ment was  a  model  of  military  discipline."  After 
bis  return  from  Mexico  he  served  four  years  in  the 


108  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  nr 

U.  S.  House  of  Kepresentatives,  and  was  appointed 
by  President  Pierce  governor  of  Minnesota  terri- 
tory, in  the  year  1853.  The  colonel  was  a  good  drill 
officer,  and  I  soon  learned  that  the  secret  avenue  to 
his  heart  was  to  be  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  duty, 
ready  at  all  times  to  go  into  action,  and  to  obey 
orders  implicitly  without  asking  any  questions.  Gor- 
man was  firm  in  his  resolves,  and  his  behavior  on 
several  occasions  left  me  no  room  to  doubt  his  cour- 
age. 

At  Amasoque  we  learned  that  the  garrison  of 
Puebla  was  in  a  famishing  condition,  and  unless  we 
arrived  soon  and  relieved  it,  the  commander  had 
determined  to  set  out  with  his  whole  force,  and  try 
to  cut  his  way  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  there  join 
the  force  of  General  Scott.  Puebla  was  ten  miles 
distant,  and  Lane  determined  to  wait  until  morning, 
before  attempting  to  go  in,  as  the  troops  were  very 
much  fatigued,  and  he  wished  to  give  them  a  little 
rest.  We  anticipated  a  deadly  battle  in  the  morn- 
ing, though  I  cannot  say  that  we  slept  any  the  less 
soundly  on  that  account,  and  rather  hoped  that  we 
might  again  have  an  opportunity  to  pour  in  a  shower 
of  lead  upon  the  Mexicans,  as  we  had  done  at  Hua- 
mantla. 

The  cruelty  of  the  foe  to  the  garrison  of  Puebla, 
which  we  heard  of  at  Amasoque,  had  aroused  our 
anger  and  filled  our  breasts  with  unrelenting  rancor 
toward  them.  The  "  Landseers,"  as  our  boys  called 
the  Mexican  lancers,  could  expect  no  mercy  at  our 
hands,  as  we  expected  none  at  theirs;  we  "asked  no 
favors,  and  shrunk  from  no  responsibility." 

With  the  pleasing  reflection  that  to-morrow's  snn 


CENTKAL  MEXICO.  109 

might  see  us  die,  and  the  dark  night  seal  our  eyes 
^n  eternal  sleep,  we  lay  down  to  rest. 

"  Lull'd  in  soft  rest  by  night,  each  creature  lies  ; 

Man  should  but  toil  while  shines  the  daily  sun, 
And  noble  bosoms  will  but  lightly  prize 

E'en  noble  deeds,  in  silent  darkness  done." 


CHAPTER    V. 

Puebla  —  Street-fighting — Siege  of  Puebla —  Incidents  —  Killed 
and  wounded  —  Convent  of  San  Augustine  —  Description  — 
Monks — Cathedral  of  Puebla  —  Ornaments  and  building — 
Grand  Plaza  —  Palace — Colonel  Thomas  Childs — On  guard- 
Firing  into  an  armed  party  of  Mexicans  —  Alaineda — Beau- 
tiful scenery  —  Old  Convent. 

Ox  the  morning  of  October  12,  1847,  our  column 
left  Amasoque,  to  relieve  Col.  Childs  and  his  belea- 
guered garrison  at  Puebla.  It  was  a  fine  morning, 
though  very  warm,  and  after  marching  a  few  miles 
the  broad  valley  of  Fuebla,  locked  in  by  mountains, 
burst  upon  our  view.  At  the  head  of  the  valley 
lay  the  magnificent  city  of  Puebla,  with  its  nume- 
rous spires  and  steeples,  while  far  above  the  rest 
rose  the  somber  towers  of  the  Cathedral.  In  front, 
and  thirty  miles  beyond  the  city,  the  volcanoes  of 
Popocatepetl  and  Iztaccihuatl,  eighteen  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  reared  their  gigantic 
forms,  and  hid  their  summits  amid  the  clouds. 
Upon  a  hill  to  the  right  of  the  road  and  seemingly 
nestled  under  old  La  Malinchc, or  the  'storm  moun- 
tain,' lay  the  convent  of  Guadalupe,  and  still  fur- 
ther on  was  Fort  Loretto.  From  the  latter  we 
could  see,  every  few  minutes,  a  cloud  of  smoke 
wreath  up,  and  a  short  time  after  the  dull  concus- 
sion of  distant  cannon  would  reach  our  ears.  "We 

(110; 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  Ill 

marched  on  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  reached  the 
outskirts  of  the  city  about  one  o'clock,  p.  M. 

As  we  were  passing  an  old  ruined  church,  we 
were  fired  upon  by  the  enemy,  and  private  Andrew 
Antrican,  of  Company  D,  4th  Ohio  regiment,  was 
killed.  He  was  standing  close  by  me  at  the 
time.  Our  men  returned  the  fire  immediately,  and 
then  rushed  boldly  up  to  the  church ;  the  men  enter- 
ed the  church,  killed  a  number  of  Mexicans  and  took 
some  prisoners.  General  Lane  ordered  Brough'a 
regiment  to  enter  the  city  by  the  main  road,  sup- 
ported by  Wynkoop's  regiment  and  Simmons'  bat- 
talion. Our  regiment  proceeded  further  to  the 
left  and  entered  by  another  street.  Lally,  with  his 
men,  also  marched  down  a  street,  and  we  had  not 
proceeded  far  before  the  enemy,  who  had  secreted 
themselves  on  the  tops  of  the  houses,  commenced 
firing  at  us.  As  we  advanced  along  the  wide  streets 
the  scene  was  most  imposing,  as  nearly  every 
house  displayed  a  flag  from  the  balconies  of  the 
upper  story.  Here  was  seen  the  red  cross  of  En- 
gland, floating  from  the  walls  of  an  antiquated 
building  —  further  on,  the  white  flags  of  non-com- 
batants, while  opposite  appeared  the  proud  banner 
of  old  Spain,  beside  the  red  and  white  flag  of 
Austria.  Along  those  wide  and  well-paved  streets, 
there  fluttered  the  ensigns  of  nearly  every  civilized 
nation  of  the  earth.  We  were  frequently  fired  upon 
from  the  houses  which  had  white  flags  displayed, 
and  this  treacherous  mode  of  fighting  was  in  exact 
keeping  with  the  Mexican  character.  We  picked 
them  off  from  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and  delivered 
our  fire  by  platoons.  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont  narrowly 


GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

escaped  death,  a  Mexican  having  fired  at  him  from 
a  half-opened  door,  the  ball  grazing  him,  and  his 
life  was  probably  saved  by  tha  rearing  of  his  horse, 
at  the  flash  of  the  gun.  lie  returned  the  compliment 
very  effectually  with  his  holster  pistols.  Lieut.-Col. 
Moore,  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  also  shot  a  Mexican 
soldier  who  was  stationed  in  the  steeple  of  a  church. 
The  Mexican  force  was  commanded  by  Gen.  Rea, 
and  after  two  hours'  fighting  we  drove  him  out  of 
the  city,  and  again  it  was  in  possession  of  American 
soldiers.  About  3  o'clock,  being  very  much  fatigued, 
and  a  number  of  us  wounded,  faint  and  bleed! ng, 
we  marched  into  the  Grand  plaza  and  halted  under 
the  portals  of  the  houses.  The  great  cathedral  was 
on  our  left,  and  the  palace  of  the  Governor  was  on 
our  right.  There  was  not  a  single  Mexican  to  be 
seen,  though  the  city  contained  eighty  or  ninety 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  other  regiments  kept 
arriving,  and  halted  silently  as  they  came  up  to  us. 
In  order  to  give  the  reader  a  correct  understanding 
as  to  how  matters  stood  at  that  time,  it  will  be  ne- 
cessary to  go  back  a  month  or  two,  and  explain. 
When  General  Scott  advanced  upon  the  city  of 
Mexico,  which  is  seventy  miles  from  Puebla,  he 
left  Col.  Childs  of  the  artillery  at  Puebla  with  a 
body  of  men,  to  guard  the  city,  arid  protect  the 
sick  who  were  in  the  hospitals  to  the  number  of 
eighteen  hundred.  The  effective  force  left  under 
Col.  Childs  consisted  of  Ford's  company  of  the  3d 
dragoons,  Miller's  and  Kendrick's  companies  of 
artillery,  and  six  companies  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania 
volunteers  under  Lieut.  Col.  Black  —  in  all  three 
hundred  and  ninety -three  men.  During  the  siege 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  113 

which  followed,  many  of  the  sick  became  convales- 
cent, and  the  American  force  which  was  actually 
engaged,  amounted  to  fourteen  hundred  men. 

With  this  small  body  Childs  was  ordered  to  gar- 
rison the  Cuartel  San  Jose,  which  is  on  the  east 
side  of  the  city,  and  Fort  Loretto  and  the  convent 
of  Guadalupe,  which  are  about  half  a  mile  distant 
from  the  Cuartel  and  unconnected  with  the  city. 
San  Jose  was  the  grand  depot  of  supplies. 

Everything  was  very  quiet  in  and  about  Puebla, 
while  Scott  was  fighting  at  Mexico,  but  as  soon  as 
the  Mexicans  got  whipped  there,  they  turned  their 
attention  toward  Puebla.  The  first  act  of  hostility 
that  occurred,  was  on  the  26th  of  August,  when  a 
large  body  of  Mexican  cavalry  appeared  and  drove 
off  a  number  of  mules.  A  party  of  qartennaster's 
men,  twenty-six  in  number,  immediately  started 
in  pursuit.  After  a  short  ride  they  were  surrounded 
by  the  enemy,  but  cut  their  way  through  them,  and 
reached  the  garrison  in  safety,  losing  ten  killed  and 
several  wounded.  After  this  there  was  no  attack 
upon  Col.  Childs,  until  the  14th  of  September, 
when  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  came  into  Puebla 
and  commenced  the  siege,  which  lasted  until  the 
12th  of  October,  twenty-eight  days,  when  General 
Lane  arrived  with  our  column.  The  firing  was 
kept  up  by  the  Mexicans  night  and  day  upon  the  gar- 
rison, which  sustained  itself  heroically.  The  enemy 
drove  away  all  the  sheep  arid  cattle  which  were  in 
the  neighborhood,  though  the  evening  previous  to 
their  doing  this,  a  party  of  Americans  had  obtained 
a  number  which  were  driven  into  the  Cuartel  San 
Jose,  which  is  a  large  square  surrounded  on  three 
10 


114  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

sides  by  barracks.  They  also  tried  in  vain,  to  change 
the  current  of  a  stream  which  supplied  the  garrison 
with  water. 

On  the  22d  of  September,  General  Santa  Anna 
arrived  at  Fuebla  from  Mexico,  with  a  considerable 
force,  and  assumed  the  command  of  the  enemy, 
which  was  at  this  time  eight  thousand  strong,  sup- 
ported by  a  population  of  eighty  thousand.  On  the 
25th  the  Mexican  Chief  sent  Major  Iturbide  (whom 
we  afterward  took  prisoner  at  Huamantla,)  to  Colo- 
nel Childs  with  a  summons  to  surrender.  This  the 
latter  politely  declined  doing,  stating  as  a  reason, 
that  Americans  were  not  generally  inclined  to  do 
such  things. 

Childs  was  completely  hemmed  in,  and  could  not 
go  any  further  than  the  boundaries  of  the  garrison. 
He  rode  to  the  different  corps,  and  told  them  his 
intention  was  to  die  rather  than  yield  to  the  enemy ; 
this  suited  his  troops  exactly,  and  he  was  cheered  as 
he  passed  along  the  lines.  The  soldiers  were  proud 
of  their  commander,  and  resolved,  if  necessary,  to 
die  with  him. 

The  firing  had  continued  without  cessation  since 
the  14th,  but  ceased  during  the  25th  and  26th.  On 
the  27th  the  assault  was  resumed,  and  a  cannonade 
commenced  from  San  Juan  de  Dios,  and  the  con- 
vents of  San  Monica  and  Santa  Eosa.  This  was 
answered  from  Fort  Loretto,  which  kept  up  a  con- 
stant fire  from  which  the  enemy  suffered  severely. 
During  the  night  of  the  30th,  General  Santa  Anna 
withdrew  with  over  four  thousand  men  of  the  besieg- 
ing force,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  our  column 
under  General  Lane,  which  was  then  on  its  way  up 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  115 

from  Vera  Cruz.  General  Rea  was  left  in  command 
of  the  Mexican  soldiers  and  continued  the  siege 
with  vigor. 

On  the  2d  of  October  a  successful  sortie  was  made 
from  San  Jose  by  Captain  Small,  of  the  1st  Pennsyl- 
vania regiment;  he  having  passed  through  the  walla 
of  the  houses  of  an  entire  square,  by  the  aid  of  pick- 
axes and  crowbars,  at  the  head  of  fifty  men,  and 
arrived  in  front  of  a  strong  barricade,  which  had  been 
thrown  up  across  a  street,  and  was  well  guarded  by 
Mexicans:  this  he  immediately  carried,  leaving  sev- 
enteen of  the  enemy  dead  on  the  ground ;  the  barri- 
cade, which  consisted  of  cotton  bales,  was  burnt. 
Captain  Small  took  possession  of  a  large  building, 
from  which  the  garrison  had  been  much  annoyed, 
which  was  blown  up  with  gunpowder,  by  Lieut. 
Laidley,  of  the  ordnance.  The  party  returned  to  the 
garrison  with  the  loss  of  a  few  men  wounded.  Lieut. 
Morgan,  of  the  14th  infantry,  with  a  party  of  ma- 
rines, and  Lieut.  Merryfield,  of  the  15th  infantry, 
with  a  party  of  rifles,  also  commanded  brilliant  sor- 
ties. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  Captain  Herron,of  the  1st 
Pennsylvania  regiment,  sallied  out  and  drove  the 
Mexicans  with  great  loss  from  a  building,  where 
they  had  been  enfilading  the  plaza  of  San  Jose. 
Sorties  were  successively  made  from  the  convent  of 
Guadalupe,  with  considerable  effect,  by  Lieuten- 
ants Lewis  and  Bryan  on  the  29th  of  September, 
and  by  Captain  Johnson  and  Lieut.  Edwards  on  the 
6th  and  8th  of  October. 

.  As  x>ur  jcolumn  approached  the  city,  .on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  12th  of  October,  the  enemy  commenced 


116  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

making  preparations  to  leave.  Seeing  this,  Lieut.- 
Col.  Black,  with  two  companies  of  the  1st  Pennsyl- 
vania regiment,  under  Captains  Herron  and  Hill, 
marched  down  the  main  street  to  silence  a  fire  which 
was  still  kept  up,  and  to  join  their  regiment,  which 
was  coming  in  with  us  under  Col.  Wynkoop.  On 
approaching  the  spot,  a  company  of  lancers  retired 
from  it.  Herron's  company  was  ordered  to  move 
round  a  square  and  cut  off  their  retreat;  while  exe- 
cuting this  order,  his  little  band  was  hemmed  in  by 
two  parties  of  lancers,  one  of  which  came  in  front 
and  the  other  in  the  rear.  Herron's  men  tired  upon 
the  lancers,  killing  and  wounding  a  number,  and  the 
enemy  immediately  closed  in  upon  them.,  The  clash- 
ing of  lances  against  the  bayonets  of  the  American 
soldiers  was  heard  in  fierce  combat,  and  out  of  thirty 
men  of  Herron's  company,  thirteen  were  killed  on 
the  spot,  and  nine  wounded,  including  the  captain. 
The  blood  flew  in  all  directions,  and  I  was  on  the 
spot  a  few  minutes  afterward,  and  saw  the  bodies 
yet  warm,  and  the  red  blood  in  pools  upon  the  pave- 
ment. Lieut.-Col.  Black,  with  Hill's  company,  rau 
with  all  possible  speed  to  their  assistance,  and  ar- 
rived in  time  to  save  the  remnant  of  that  gallant 
little  band  from  entire  annihilation. 

Colonel  Childs,  in  his  official  report  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War,  says:  "  Never  did  troops  endure  more 
fatigue,  by  watching  night  after  night,  for  more  than 
thirty  successive  nights,  nor  exhibit  more  patience, 
spirit  and  gallantry.  Not  a  post  of  danger  could 
present  itself,  but  the  gallant  fellows  were  ready  to 
fill  it ;  not  a  sentinel  could  be  shot,  but  another 
was  anxious  and  ready  to  take  hie  place.  Officers 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  117 

and  soldiers  vied  with  each  other,  to  be  honored 
martyrs  in  their  country's  cause." 

The  plaza  of  the  Cuartel  San  Jose  was  open  on  the 
side  opposite  to  the  public  walk  of  Tivoli,  and  from 
that  direction  the  garrison  suffered  severely.  The 
Tivoli  is  a  fine  public  ground  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  city,  and  a  beautiful  clear  stream  of  water  mean- 
ders through  it,  lengthwise,  in  three  places ;  along 
the  banks  of  these  streams,  there  are  three  broad 
avenues,  lined  on  each  side  with  stately  trees,  with 
benches  here  and  there  beneath  the  shade.  A  neat 
fountain  is  situated  in  the  center.  At  this  place, 
Santa  Anna,  while  he  was  in  command,  placed  a 
battery  of  six-pounders,  which  raked  the  plaza  of  San 
Jose.  In  anticipation  of  this  movement,  Col.  Childs 
threw  up  a  breastwork  across  the  plaza,  and  an- 
swered the  fire  with  a  twelve-pounder. 

The  defense  of  Puebla  was  admirably  conducted, 
and  Col.  Childs  added  much  to  his  already  high 
reputation  as  an  officer.  The  many  incidents  of 
the  siege  would  alone  fill  a  volume,  and  I  shall  be 
obliged,  though  reluctantly,  to  describe  other  scenes. 
Captain  Morehead,  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment, commanded  the  troops  at  the  convent  of  Gua- 
dalupe,  during  the  siege;  Major  Gwynn  commanded 
at  Fort  Loretto,  and  Lieut. -Col.  Black  had  charge  of 
San  Jose.  The  commanding  officer  was  wherever 
his  services  were  needed,  animating  his  men  by  his 
example  and  kind  words. 

This  was  the  most  protracted  event  that  occurred 
during  the  Mexican  war,  and  it  seems  almost  in- 
credible that  so  small  a  force  could  have  held  out  so 
long  against  such  overpowering  odds.  The  com- 


118  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

manding  officer,  in  his  report,  spoke  in  the  highest 
terms  of  his  brave  troops,  and  particularly  of  Lieut.- 
Col.  Black,  Major  Gwynn,  Surgeon  Mills,  Captains 
Kowe,  Morehead,  Kendrick,  Miller  and  Webster, 
and  Lieutenants  Waelder,  Carrol,  Moore,  Edwards 
and  Khett.  Sergeant  Owell,  of  the  artillery,  also 
received  the  praise  and  thanks  of  Col.  Childs,  for 
the  precision  and  skill  which  he  evinced  in  the 
management  of  a  six-pounder  cannon. 

Colonel  Childs  received  the  brevet  rank  of  briga- 
dier-general from  the  president  of  the  United  States, 
for  his  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  de- 
fense of  Puebla.  No  officer  ever  earned  promotion 
by  more  noble  deeds  of  daring. 

The  total  loss  to  the  garrison,  including  those  who 
were  killed  and  wounded  the  day  we  marched  in, 
amounted  to  eighty-seven,  while  the  loss  of  the  ene- 
my was  estimated  at  over  five  hundred. 

While  the  4th  Indiana  regiment,  4th  Ohio  regi- 
ment, and  a  portion  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment, were  resting  in  the  plaza,  a  party  of  American 
soldiers,  bearing  a  flag,  marched  gayly  into  the 
plaza.  We  knew  they  were  not  of  our  command,  as 
their  white  belts  were  too  clean  and  their  blue  jack- 
ets looked  as  though  they  had  been  lately  washed  ; 
the  heavens  fairly  resounded  with  their  loud  huzzas, 
as  they  marched  up  to  us.  They  were  Hill's  with 
the  remnant  of  Herron's  company,  under  Lieut. -Col. 
Black.  The  noble  fellows  grasped  our  hands,  while 
tears  trickled  down  their  bronzed  cheeks — we  were  as 
a  band  of  brothers ! 

A  single  horseman  rode  into  the  plaza,  and,  loos- 
ening his  bugle,  commenced  playing  the  sweet  yet 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  119 

mournful  strains  of  Moore's  "Araby's  Daughter;" — 
as  the  soft  notes  reached  us,  our  men  silently  bowed 
their  heads,  each  thinking  perhaps  of  some  comrade 
whose  form  was  moldering  on  the  battle-field,  or 
of  far-off  friends,  dearer  now  than  ever.  A  film 
gathered  in  many  a  warrior's  eye,  and  many  a  lip 
quivered  that  knew  no  fear.  The  tune  changed,  and 
the  bugler  breathed  forth  the  martial  strains  of  the 
"  Star-spangled  Banner;"  the  breasts  of  our  soldiers 
heaved  like  the  billows  of  the  ocean,  and  we  all,  as 
by  one  impulse,  joined  in  the  chorus — 

"  The  Star-spangled  Banner,  oh,  long  may  it  wave 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave  !" 

I  was  glad  when  we  reached  Puebla.  The  painful 
march,  of  nearly  a  month's  duration,  had  crippled 
me  up  a  great  deal,  and  in  addition  I  had  received  a 
severe  injury  in  my  right  side  and  right  hand. 
After  resting  some  time,  Col.  Gorman  rode  up  to 
the  regiment,  and  gave  the  order,  "Attention,  bat- 
talion!" We  instantly  formed,  and  marching  by 
the  right  flank,  proceeded  up  a  street  and  halted 
about  four  blocks  from  the  plaza.  In  front  of  us 
was  a  large  building,  about  thirty  feet  high,  devoid 
of  all  architectural  pretensions,  and  covering  an  en- 
tire square.  There  were  but  few  windows  in  front, 
and  these  were  high  up,  and  resembled,  with  their 
iron  gratings,  the  little  windows  of  a  prison.  The 
whole  wall  was  covered  with  white  mortar,  and  a  tall 
steeple  with  a  large  cross  loomed  up  on  the  left.  A 
few  soldiers  were  ordered  to  rap  at  the  door,  and 
directly  afterward  the  shaved  heads  of  a  couple  of 
priests  appeared  above  the  walls  of  the  roof.  "  Que 


120  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

quierevd?"  (What  do  you  want?)  said  they.  Tom 
Silsbee  replied  in  Spanish,  that  \ve  wanted  to  get 
in.  They  were  not  slow  in  opening  the  door,  and 
we  soon  found  ourselves,  in  company  with  certain 
friars  or  priests,  the  possessors  and  occupants  of  the 
convent  of  San  August! n. 

The  convent  was  a  most  magnificent  building  in- 
side, and  greatly  belied  its  external  appearance. 
"We  first  passed  into  a  dark  hall,  which  was  proba- 
bly thirty  feet  long  and  twenty -five  wide,  and  sur- 
rounded by  stone  benches;  from  this  we  entered 
into  a  large  court-yard,  filled  with  orange  and  fig- 
trees,  with  a  fine  fountain  throwing  up  its  pure 
waters  in  the  center.  The  trees  were  inclosed  in  an 
iron  railing  with  two  gates.  The  portal,  or  porch, 
projected  over  the  yard  some  ten  feet,  and  was  sup- 
ported by  pillars  and  arches.  Over-head,  the  porch 
projected  the  same  as  below,  and  the  whole  corridor 
was  protected  by  a  stone  wall.  The  yard  below  was 
paved  with  large  flat  stones,  and  the  soldiers  slept 
under  the  portal.  The  upper  portico  or  corridor  was 
used  by  the  officers  and  sick  men.  The  promenade 
was  pleasant,  and  the  walls  back  were  covered  with 
large  pictures,  the  figures  being  of  life  size ;  they 
were  painted  by  the  priests,  and  some  of  them 
evinced  considerable  talent,  though  as  a  general 
thing  they  were  mere  daubs.  There  was  another 
hall,  directly  above  the  hall  by  which  we  entered, 
on  the  left  of  which  was  a  church,  and  on  the  right 
a  long  row  of  friars'  cells.  Another  hall  ran  around 
the  court-yard,  inside  of  the  wall  of  the  portico,  and 
'these  walls  were  also  adorned  with  pictures.  There 
were  a  great  many  cells,  which  were  used  by  tho 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  121 

priests  to  live  in.  There  were  two  other  halls,  run- 
ning from  the  main  hall,  and  these  too  were  lined 
with  cells.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  building,  as  there  were  so  many  halls, 
rooms  and  cells.  I  did  not  visit  one  half  of  them, 
though  I  was  in  the  building  nearly  two  months.  All 
the  walls,  pillars  and  arches  were  made  of  stone  and 
covered  with  cement. 

I  went  to  an  old  priest  who  appeared  to  be  the  prior 
of  the  convent,  and  demanded  the  keys  of  a  cell,  as  I 
ielt  particularly  anxious  to  get  some  rest.  He  pretend- 
ed not  to  understand  me,  when  Lieut.  Barber  seized 
him  by  the  throat  and  swore  he  would  blow  his  d — d 
brains  out  if  he  did  not  immediately  give  them  to 
us.  This  insult  upon  his  Catholic  dignity  wrought 
a  wonderful  change  in  his  feelings,  and  while  I 
was  drawing  my  bowie-knife  he  gave  the  keys  to 
us.  We  were  in  no  mood  to  be  trifled  with,  and 
I  could  have  scalped  his  shaved  head  with  infinite 
relish. 

Captain  Fravel,  Lieut.  Barber  and  myself  took 
possession  of  the  cell,  and  the  other  officers  found 
quarters  near  us.  Mark  McGraw,  who  cooked  for 
us,  bought  a  little  earthen  furnace  and  some  crock- 
ery-ware, and  with  our  blankets  and  the  stone  floor 
for  beds,  we  commenced  house-keeping.  Our  whole 
regiment  occupied  the  court-yard  below,  and  piles  of 
blankets,  knapsacks,  haversacks,  canteens,  muskets 
and  cartridge-boxes  filled  up  the  passage  ways. 

We  had  one  window  in  our  cell,  which  was  closed 

by  a  shutter.    When  open,  we  had  a  fine  view  down 

the  valley  of  Puebla,  looking  over  haciendas  and 

villas,  and  among  the  rest  the  Pyramid  of  Cholnla. 

11 


122  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

The  high  mountains,  with  the  peaks  of  volcanoes, 
were  north  of  us  and  in  plain  sight. 

The  Augustinians  treated  us  well  enough  after  we 
had  choked  the  "  head  monk,"  and  one  of  them, 
named  Padre  Lopez,  was  a  very  clever  fellow.  It 
was  rather  a  singular  sight  to  see  a  lot  of  soldiers 
occupying  the  same  quarters  with  a  parcel  of  priests  ; 
and  these  "  gentlemen  in  black"  evidently  had  no 
taste  for  the  smell  of  gunpowder.  They  dressed 
in  black  clothes,  and  wore  large,  loose  gowns  of 
black.  On  their  heads  they  wore  enormous  hats, 
with  brims  six  inches  wide,  turned  up  at  the  sides. 

They  were  very  devotional,  and  spent  much  time 
in  praying,  etc.  If  the  truth  must  be  told,  I  was 
deplorably  ignorant  of  their  forms  of  worship,  and 
scarcely  knew  the  difference  between  a  vesper  and  a 
zephyr,  or  a  chant  and  a  matin.  Their  infernal  bells 
kept  up  an  incessant  ringing,  and  we  put  a  stop  to 
it  by  knocking  down  the  belfry-man  and  tying  the 
staff  of  our  flag  to  the  cross  on  top  of  the  steeple. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  which  I  frequently  passed 
there  was  a  strong  iron  grating,  running  from  the 
ceiling  to  the  floor.  This  was  open,  and  beyond  I 
could  see  pictures  of  men  in  flames,  iron  chains,  old 
canvass  on  frames,  and  as  queer  a  medley  of  other 
stuff  as  can  well  be  imagined.  The  whole  together 
made  a  singular  impression  upon  me,  and  I  always 
thought  of  the  Inquisition  and  martyrdom.  It  was 
enough  to  make  a  person  shudder  to  look  into  that 
room ! 

Col.  Gorman's  room  was  pleasantly  situated,  and 
a  door  opened  out  upon  a  little  balcony,  that  over- 
looked another  court-yard,  which  was  filled  with 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  123 

orange-trees,  roses,  and  other  shrubbery.  Our  quar- 
ters in  the  convent  were  rather  pleasant,  and  there 
was  one  little  room  in  particular,  that  was  the  most 
brilliantly  decorated  of  any  place  I  ever  saw.  Thia 
room  was  about  fifteen  feet  long  and  six  feet  wide  ; 
there  was  a  large  chair,  very  handsomely  carved, 
raised  upon  a  platform  in  it,  and  back  of  this  chair 
was  one  solid  sheet  of  gold  and  gilding ;  the  walls 
were  painted  in  bright  colors  of  crimson  and  gold, 
and  a  carpet  of  crimson  velvet  with  a  golden  border 
lay  upon  the  floor.  Silver  candlesticks  were  stand- 
ing 011  a  marble-topped  table,  and  a  large  number 
of  brilliants  w7ere  distributed  in  the  back  of  the 
chair.  What  this  room  was  for,  I  never  could  ascer- 
tain, and  our  trusty  soldiers  took  as  little  interest  in 
religious  matters  as  can  well  be  imagined.  In  truth, 
they  troubled  the  priests  but  little,  and  the  priests 
took  precious  good  care  not  to  trouble  them. 

The  morning  after  reaching  the  convent,  I  arose 
alter  having  taken  a  long  and  refreshing  sleep.  The 
window  of  our  cell  was  open  and  a  clear  flood  of 
light  poured  in.  I  equipped  myself  in  clean  clothes 
from  the  only  remaining  trunk  which  the  officers  of 
our  company  had  been  allowed  to  bring  up  from 
Vera  Cruz,  and  then  walked  down  to  the  door  of 
the  convent.  Already  the  small  dealers  had  arrived 
in  front,  with  their  wares  and  cookery,  and  were 
pressing  up  to  the  sentinel  in  the  most  clamorous 
manner.  The  soldiers  had  but  very  little  money  left, 
though  they  were  trading  at  the  door  beside  the 
guard  in  a  brisk  way,  none  of  them  being  allowed 
to  go  out,  and  none  of  the  Mexican  men,  women  or 
children  being  allowed  to  come  in.  The  fruit 


124  GEN.   LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

women  were  there  with  their  baskets  of  oranges, 
bananas  and  plantains ;  the  lecharas  or  milk  women  ; 
the  venders  of  boiled  green  corn,  making  an  awful 
noise ;  beggar  boys,  news  boys,  turtilla  women, 
pulque  sellers,  and  a  host  more.  I  pressed  my  way 
through  and  went  down  one  of  the  streets  to  the 
plaza,  which  was  full  half  a  mile  from  the  convent. 
The  great  square  or  plaza  of  Puebla  is  one  of  its 
most  noted  places,  though  there  are  other  lesser 
squares  in  other  parts  of  the  city.  The  Cathedral, 
raised  upon  a  platform  of  granite  some  five  or  six 
feet  high,  forms  a  conspicuous  feature,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  buildings  I  ever  saw.  The  two  steeples 
in  front  run  up  some  two  hundred  feet,  and  the  tops 
are  tilled  with  bells  of  all  sizes.  The  church  itself 
is  built  of  a  kind  of  blue  stone,  the  blocks  being 
square  and  firmly  fastened  together  by  cement ; 
there  are  two  principal  doors  or  entrances,  one  on 
the  north  and  the  other  on  the  west  side.  These 
doors  are  very  thick,  and  studded  with  large  spikes, 
and  the  doorways  are  ten  feet  across  and  about  thirty 
in  hight.  I  walked  into  the  Cathedral,  and  as  it 
was  in  the  forenoon,  I  found  a  great  many  Mexicans 
at  their  devotions.  The  inside  was  filled  with  pic- 
tures, crosses,  gilding  and  wax  figures  of  our  Savior, 
the  Holy  Virgin  and  many  saints.  There  was  a 
fine  temple  made  of  the  purest  marble  in  the  center 
of  the  church,  with  a  graceful  dome  on  top,  and 
between  each  pillar  there  was  a  statue  of  a  saint,  all 
of  which  were  remarkably  well  executed.  This 
stands  to  the  left  of  the  north  door,  and  opposite  to 
it,  in  a  gallery,  is  a  fine  organ,  where  the  priests 
and  boys  chant.  On  the  right  side  of  the  door 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  125 

going  in,  is  a  picture  of  gigantic  dimensions.  It  is 
the  figure  of  a  man  twenty-five  feet  high,  holding 
in  his  hands  an  enormous  club.  I  do  not  know  who 
it  was  intended  to  represent.  There  are  no  pews  in 
the  Cathedral,  and  each  person,  upon  entering, 
crosses  himself  and  immediately  kneels.  A  number 
of  chairs,  used  by  the  priests,  were  standing  in  the 
church,  and  I  saw  some  women  kneeling  beside 
them  and  confessing  their  sins  to  the  priests.  A 
little  lattice  work  is  on  each  side,  and  the  confessor 
puts  his  ear  up  to  this,  while  the  sinner,  kneeling, 
tells  of  \\erpeccados. 

The  dome,  sixty  feet  high,  lets  in  the  light,  which 
falls  in  softened  rays  upon  the  body  of  the  church. 
It  is  a  place  where  every  person  feels  a  solemn  awe, 
and  I  never  saw  the  least  disrespect  shown  by  our 
Boldiers  to  the  priests  or  the  Catholic  ceremonies. 
This  Cathedral  is  very  rich,  and  is  called  one  of  the 
wealthiest  in  the  world.  The  story  of  the  gigantic 
chandelier,  said  to  be  in  this  church,  made  of  solid 
gold  and  silver,  and  exceeding  ten  tons  in  weight, 
you  may  believe,  dear  reader,  if  you  choose,  but  I 
did  not  see  it.  Still,  I  saw  enough  to  convince  me 
of  its  immense  riches,  and  have  no  doubt  the  church 
is  worth  millions  of  dollars. 

This  church  is  looked  upon  with  awe  and  rever- 
ence by  all  mankind,  as  it  is  said  to  have  been  built 
by  angels,  and  the  name  of  the  city,  Puebla  de  los 
Angelos,  is  derived  from  that  circumstance.  The 
story  goes  thus :  While  the  workmen  were  build- 
ing the  church  they  became  tired  and  weary  of 
their  immense  labor,  (for  the  church  was  twenty-five 
years  building,)  and  toiled  hard  by  day  and  received 


128  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

.very  little  compensation  for  their  labor.  In  this 
emergency,  God  sent  a  party  of  angels,  who  worked 
upon  the  church  and  finished  as  much  by  night  as 
tho  workmen  had  done  in  the  daytime:  and  so  it 
went  on  until  the  church  was  gpmpleted,  in  1664, 
near  two  centuries  before  we  arrived  in  the  city. 
While  looking  at  the  huge  stones  and  calculating 
their  great  weight,  I  could  not  but  think  that  the 
angels  must  have  been  broad  flankers,  like  those 
we  see  pictured  in  a  Dutch  Almanac. 

The  miracles  said  to  have  been  performed  in  and 
about  Puebla  are  singular  enough,  and  the  Catholic 
population  believe  every  word  of  them.  The  ignor- 
ance of  the  people,  and  of  the  Indians  in  particular, 
is  really  astonishing,  though  they  are  happy  in  their 
belief,  and  the  poor  fellows  appear  to  worship  the  Vir- 
gin with  an  ardor  and  sincerity  unknown  in  Protest- 
ant countries.  They  are  happy  !  They  believe  in 
the  Holy  Trinity  and  ask  no  questions.  Their  little 
daily  prayer,  similar  in  its  wording  to  the  Lord's 
prayer  as  said  by  us,  is  repeated  by  them  twenty 
times  a  day,  and  they  form  a  little  cross  by  crossing 
their  right  thumb  over  the  forefinger. 

The  ornaments  of  the  Cathedral  I  am  unable  to 
give  in  detail,  though  the  figures  of  the  Virgin, 
adorned  with  priceless  gems,  and  as  beautiful  as  the 
finest  waxwork  an.d  most  costly  satins  can  make 
them,  are  worthy  of  a  minute  description.  The 
crosses,  bearing  wax  figures  of  life  size  of  our  Savi- 
our, with  his  bleeding  wounds  and  crown  of  thorns, 
are  scattered  about  over  the  building,  and  give  it  a 
solemn  and  unearthly  appearance.  Beside  the  door 
is  the  body  of  Christ  laid  in  a  coffin  and  covered 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  127 

with  roses.  Here  the  people  stoop  and  kiss  the  side 
of  the  coffin,  and  leave  pieces  of  money  upon  the 
glass  cover. 

In  the  Cathedral  the  priests  dressed  in  black  and 
white  gowns,  and  a  great  many  little  boys  came  in, 
dressed  in  red  gowns  and  red  caps.  The  house  is, 
all  in  all,  a  most  magnificent  work,  and  with  the 
exception  of  some  minor  faults  in  building  and 
painting,  it  ranks  among  the  very  noblest  churches 
of  the  world. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Cathedral,  with  a  street 
between,  is  a  Catholic  college  for  the  education  of 
priests,  and  on  the  east  side,  directly  opposite  to 
the  Cathedral,  across  the  plaza,  stands  the  Governor's 
Palace.  The  plaza  itself  contains  about  four  acres 
of  ground,  which  is  kept  perfectly  clean,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  stone  wall  covered  with  stucco;  around 
this  runs  a  broad  and  handsome  street.  In  the  plaza 
are  two  fountains,  one  of  which  was  unfinished. 
The  fountain  which  was  playing  afforded  water  for 
many  families,  who  carried  it  out  in  large  earthen 
jars.  At  the  gates  were  long  chains,  which  were 
loosened  during  the  day-time.  Around  the  plaza 
was  a  stone  seat  running  the  whole  way  inside  of 
the  stone  wall.  On  the  other  sides  of  the  square 
the  houses  were  built  projecting  over  the  sidewalk, 
and  the  upper  stories  were  supported  on  pillars  and 
arches.  These  were  used  for  stores,  wh'ile  the  fam- 
ilies lived  overhead.  After  taking  a  few  observa- 
tions, I  returned  to  the  convent. 

In  the  afternoon  I  again  went  down  to  the  plaza, 
and  visited  the  Governor's  Palace,  which  was  at 
that  time  occupied  by  General  Lane.  Simmons' 


128  GEN.   LANE'S  BBIGADE   is 

battalion  was  quartered  in  the  court-yard  below,  and 
the  artillery  was  in  the  same  building.  The  cala- 
boose or  prison  was  back  of  the  palace  though  con- 
nected with  it,  and  was  reached  by  an  archway  run- 
ning at  right  angles  with  the  front  of  the  building. 
I  went  in  and  was  directed  to  go  up  stairs  to  Lane's 
quarters,  which  were  in  the  second  story,  and  was 
admitted  into  a  large  room,  with  windows  running 
from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling ;  outside  of  these  windows 
were  balconies  overlooking  the  plaza.  The  rooms 
•were  not  adorned  in  very  princely  style,  though  the 
Aztec  eagle  was  painted  conspicuously  on  the  walls. 
One  room  was  covered  with  paintings  representing 
the  Cuartel  San  Jose,  and  the  city  of  Puebla.  They 
were  truthful  though  not  highly  finished.  The  fur- 
niture had  been  removed  from  the  palace,  and  Lane 
took  very  little  care  to  have  it  replaced ;  he  was  a 
man  of  the  greatest  simplicity  of  character,  and 
utterly  abhorred  everything  like  show  or  parade. 
His  iron  bedstead  and  blankets  were  good  enough 
for  him,  and  these  were  placed  in  an  adjoining 
room. 

A  few  camp-stools  and  a  table  were  all  the  fur- 
niture the  palace  could  boast  of.  A  number  of 
officers  were  assembled  in  the  General's  quarters 
some  writing,  and  some  talking,  and  all  apparently 
engaged  in  trying  to  make  the  time  pass  oft*  as 
agreeably  as  possible. 

Col.  Childs'  quarters  were  still  at  San  Jose, 
though  a  few  minutes  after  my  arrival,  he  rode  up 
to  the  palace  with  a  company  of  dragoons  for  the 
purpose  of  making  General  Lane  a  visit.  He  came 
in  and  was  introduced  to  all  the  officers  present. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  129 

Colonel  Childs  was  born  in  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  at  an  early  age  entered  the  military  school 
at  West  Point.  A  writer  in  the  New  York  Times, 
speaks  of  him  as  follows: — 

"He  was  ordered  to  the  northern  frontier  in  the 
last  war  with  Great  Britian,  while  yet  an  under- 
graduate at  "West  Point,  and  performed  his  duty 
gallantly  in  several  engagements  there,  being  then 
only  seventeen  years  of  age.  Passing  slowly  through 
various  grades  of  promotion,  the  Florida  war  found 
him  a  captain  of  artillery ;  and  for  his  many  and 
brilliant  services  in  those  protracted  campaigns,  he 
was  successively  breveted  Major  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  by  General  Jackson,  acting  through  all  the 
five  years  of  that  terrible  service  with  unflinching 
bravery,  and  displaying  military  abilities  of  the 
highest  order.  His  services  in  the  Mexican  war 
commenced  with  the  first  battle,  and  at  Palo  Alto, 
Resaca  de  la  Palma  and  Monterey ;  at  Vera  Cruz, 
Cerro  Gordo,  etc.,  his  brilliant  conduct  deserved 
and  received  the  highest  approbation  of  his  com- 
manding Generals. 

"The  defense  of  Puebla,  with  a  small  garrison 
enfeebled  by  disease  and  encumbered  with  the  care 
of  crowded  hospitals,  was  one  of  the  events  in  that* 
war  of  trying  difficulties  and  glorious  successes, 
which  will  always  be  regarded  as  a  triumph  of 
military  skill.  The  meager  resources  at  his  com- 
mand were  used  with  consummate  ability,  and  he 
was  able  to  maintain  the  position  against  what 
seemed  to  be  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy 
under  Santa  Anna  himself.  The  safety  of  the  ad- 
vancing army  depended  entirely  upon  his  defense 


130  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

of  that  post ;  and  as  he  preserved  it,  so  he  deserved 
his  fall  meed  of  glory  in  the  subsequent  triumphs 
of  our  troops. 

"These  are  a  few  of  the  prominent  events  in  his 
military  career.  For  such  services  as  these  he  was 
breveted  Colonel  and  Brigadier-General,  and  surely 
no  one,  in  all  the  glorious  company  of  our  military 
heroes,  earned  distinction  by  more  arduous  and 
gallant  services  than  he  did. 

"As  a  man,  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  was  most 
exemplary ;  most  worthy  of  the  highest  regard  and 
esteem.  He  was  able,  through  all  the  temptations 
and  exposures  of  a  military  life,  to  preserve  un- 
blemished the  honorable  character  of  a  Christian, 
soldier,  and  gentleman.  Belonging,  from  an  early 
period  in  his  life,  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  he  ever 
maintained  a  consistent  religious  deportment — faith 
ful  in  all  his  duties;  generous  and  kind  in  his  dis- 
position, and  striving  to  promote  the  welfare  of  all 
under  his  influence.  Such  a  man  is  an  ornament  to 
any  profession ;  but  especially  in  the  army  do  such 
traits  adorn  and  illustrate  the  rank  he  filled." 

The  writer  tells  the  truth  of  Colonel  Childs,  though 
it  must  be  admitted  that  he  was  never  popular  with 
the  volunteers.  I  respect  his  memory,  and  shall 
always  entertain  the  highest  regard  for  him.  He 
died  at  Tampa,  Florida,  on  the  8th  of  August,  1853, 
of  yellow  fever. 

The  meeting  of  Lane  and  Childs  was  cordial, 
though  they  were  not  congenial  spirits.  Lane  was 
brave,  open-hearted  and  free,  and  Childs,  though 
equally  brave,  was  cold  and  formal  in  his  man- 
ners, and  haughty  in  his  disposition — none  of  us 


v/iNTRAL    MEXICO.  131 

loved  him,  though  we  respected  him  for  his  bravery 
and  military  skill. 

The  4th  regiment  of  Ohio  volunteers  was  quar- 
tered at  the  convent  of  San  Francisco,  in  the  south 
part  of  the  city,  near  the  Tivoli,  and  about  two  miles 
distant  from  the  convent  of  San  Augustine.  Their 
quarters  were  comfortable,  though  I  do  not  think  the 
convent  in  which  they  were  was  as  highly  finished 
as  the  one  we  were  in.  The  convent  of  San  Fran- 
cisco was  situated  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  in  a  fine 
locality,  and  the  men  had  plenty  of  good  water  to 
use.  Lewis'  cavalry  company  was  quartered  near 
us  in  a  large  Rtone  building,  and  the  horses  were 
picketed  in  the  court-yard.  We  made  free  use  of  the 
buildings  of  the  city,  and  when  a  Mexican  refused 
to  give  us  the  keys  we  very  unceremoniously  battered 
the  doors  open.  "We  had  a  very  summary  mode  of 
doing  business,  and  obeyed  orders  to  the  letter. 

Upon  returning  to  the  convent  I  found  the  regi- 
ment on  dress-parade  and  fell  into  my  place  imme- 
diately. This  was  the  first  time  we  were  on  parade 
in  the  city,  and  our  regiment  had  dwindled  down 
sadly  since  we  left  Yera  Cruz.  Some  of  our  cap- 
tains had  returned  to  the  United  States  and  others 
were  on  the  sick  list.  Lieutenants  were  wounded 
and  disabled  and  sergeants  were  wanting  in  their 
places.  The  rank  and  file  were  not  very  numerous, 
and  our  largest  companies,  which  had  started  with 
one  hundred  men,  could  scarcely  muster  sixty.  "We 
had  now  been  in  Mexico  but  about  three  months, 
that  is,  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the  middle  of 
October,  and  already  our  men  were  woefully  cut 
down,  and  we  all  looked  haggard  and  careworn. 


132  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

We  had  passed  through  many  trials,  dangers  and 
vicissitudes,  and  the  stoutest  heart  quailed  at  the 
recollection  of  some  scenes.  "We  had  all  lost  com- 
rades, those  that  we  loved  and  respected,  and  our 
parade  that  evening  was  a  melancholy  sight.  A 
number  of  men  came  on  with  their  heads  and  bodies 
bandaged  up,  and  some  of  the  officers  carried  their 
arms  in  slings. 

Our  troops  beat  off,  and  Morrison  McMurphy 
Smith,  our  head-fifer,  played  in  his  most  exalted 
strains.  Smith  was  a  capital  fifer,  but  a  most 
unconscionable  lover  of  good  liquor.  He  took  con- 
siderable liberties,  which  were  overlooked  on  account 
of  his  age  and  his  fine  fifing  propensities.  Our 
drummers,  too,  were  good,  and  the  old  tune  called 
the  "  Jay  Bird  "  had  a  good  effect  upon  our  feelings 
that  evening,  as  it  aroused  the  recollections  of  home 
and  old  Fort  Clark,  and  told  us  that  we  had  yet 
something  to  live  for. 

Colonel  Gorman  made  a  short  speech  to  the  men, 
urging  them  to  do  their  duty  faithfully,  and  not  to 
pine  under  the  hardships  to  which  we  were  sub- 
jected. The  speech  was  practical;  there  was  no 
Buncombe  in  it,  and  he  knew  full  well  that  he  was 
talking  to  men  who  were  already  aroused  to  the 
stern,  unflinching  realities  of  a  soldier's  life.  A 
gaping  crown  of  Mexicans  stood  around  us,  and  as 
we  broke  ranks  they  dispersed. 

The  third  day  after  we  reached  Puebla  a  party  of 
Pennsylvania  volunteers  went  out  and  set  fire  to  a 
building  which  was  used  by  the  Mexicans  to  have 
bull-fights  in.  The  material  of  whicli  it  was  con- 
structed was  wood,  and  it  was  soon  entirely  con- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  133 

sumed.  This  was  almost  the  only  wooden  building 
in  the  city,  and  the  garrison  of  Puebla  had  suffered 
very  much  from  the  firing  from  this  place  during 
the  siege.  It  was  a  cruel  piece  of  revenge,  but  the 
determined  character  of  the  volunteers  neither  relent- 
ed upon  victory,  or  shrunk  from  heaping  misfortunes 
upon  the  heads  of  the  unfortunate  Mexicans.  I 
heard  no  one  uphold  the  men  who  committed  this 
act,  but  on  the  contrary  all  spoke  of  it  as  a  wanton 
and  unprovoked  outrage. 

The  same  afternoon,  I  was  sent  out  with  a  party 
of  one  hundred  men.  to  take  possession  of  a  gate  at 
the  west  end  of  the  city,  on  the  road  which  leads  to 
the  city  of  Mexico,  with  orders  to  fire  upon  the 
Mexicans  if  they  should  make  their  appearance.  My 
command  was  made  up  of  Ohio  and  Indiana  volun- 
teers ;  among  the  former  were  James  Plummer  and 
Jacob  Leiter,  and  among  the  latter  were  Sergeant 
John  A.  McLaughlin,  J.  V.  Bemusdaffer,  Sam. 
Bailey,  Geo.  "W.  Fairbrother  and  Richard  Rudd. 
Second  Lieutenant  John  W.  Mullen,  of  company  H, 
and  Sergeant  Kramer,  of  company  F,  were  also  of 
the  party.  "We  marched  out  on  the  road  and  took 
possession  of  a  very  decent  house  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city,  which  we  found  vacant.  We  barricaded 
the  door,  and  then  took  our  blankets  and  went  on 
the  roof,  which  was  protected  by  a  fire  wall,  or  par- 
apet, about  three  feet  high  and  eight  inches  thick. 
Here  we  ate  our  suppers,  and  placing  four  men  on 
guard,  I  sat  down  by  Lieut.  Mullen,  and  we  com- 
menced conversation.  Night  came  on,  and  feeling 
somewhat  uneasy,  I  kept  visiting  the  sentinels,  and 
was  seconded  by  Mullen,  who  had  a  sort  of  presen-: 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

timent  that  we  would  be  attacked  during  the  night. 
Our  men  were  vigilant  and  none  of  them,  even  if 
they  had  been  inclined,  could  go  to  sleep.  After 
midnight  we  heard  the  trampling  of  horses'  feet, 
rapidly  approaching  us  in  the  dark,  and  their  hoofs 
made  considerable  noise  on  the  hard  rocky  road. 
We  kept  perfectly  still,  as  we  felt  sure  they  did  not 
know  that  we  were  stationed  on  the  house-top  so 
near  the  road.  In  fact  they  had  no  idea  that  Lane 
had  a  picket-guard  out  at  all. 

When  they  came  within  hailing  distance,  I  had 
my  men  close  up  to  the  wall,  and  kneeling  behind  it, 
with  their  guns  cocked.  They  came  on,  and  when 
they  were  close  up,  I  shouted  to  them  "Alto!"'  and 
directly  afterward  asked  "  Quien  es  ?"  The  only 
reply  was  the  command  of  the  Mexican  officer  iu 
charge,  to  "  preparen  las  armas!"  and  then  "Apun- 
ten!  Fuego!"  The  bullets  fairly  rattled  about  our 
ears  ;  but  dropping  suddenly  down  behind  the  wall, 
I  escaped  injury.  I  gave  the  order  to  my  men  to 
tire,  and  we  poured  in  on  thtj  Mexicans  such  a  feu 
dejoie  as  sent  them  scampering  away  like  madmen. 
About  fifteen  minutes  afterward  a  company  of  our 
cavalry  came  dashing  up  street,  and  the  officer  in 
command  inquired  what  was  the  matter.  I  told 
him,  and  after  some  conversation  he  returned  into 
the  city. 

The  next  morning  I  was  relieved  by  Lieut.  Gary 
and  a  hundred  more  men,  and  returned  with  my 
command  to  the  convent.  We  killed  two  Mexicans 
when  we  fired.  Gary,  the  night  he  remained  there, 
came  very  near  firing  into  a  party  of  English  express 
riders,  and  was  only  prevented  from  doing  so  by 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  .  135 

accidentally  hearing  one  of  the  men  speak  English. 
His  men  were  all  ready  at  the  time,  and  about  pull- 
ing trigger. 

Gary  was  rather  a  humorous  fellow,  and  on  relat- 
ing the  circumstance  to  me,  remarked,  that  he  had 
"intended  to  bring  the  grease,  hair  or  blood;"  and 
I  know  full  well  that  he  was  able  and  walling  to 
carry  his  Christian  design  into  execution. 

On  returning,  I  passed  the  Alameda,  or  public 
garden  of  Puebla,  which  is  situated  in  the  west  part 
of  the  city.  On  each  side  of  the  main  entrance, 
raised  upon  square  pillars,  stand  beautiful  statues  of 
Indian  queens,  dressed  in  plumes  and  adorned  with 
beads  ;  passing  by  these,  I  entered  into  a  broad  road 
which  ran  entirely  around  the  inside  of  the  inclosure, 
and  was  used  for  carriages  and  horses.  A  fine  side- 
walk was  nearest  the  stone  wall,  and  around  this 
were  stone  seats.  There  were  a  great  many  lanes 
and  graveled  walks  amidst  the  shrubbery,  and  large 
trees  flung  their  dark  green  foliage  over  the  whole 
garden.  It  contains  about  ten  acres  of  ground,  and 
three  large  fountains,  situated  in  different  parts  of 
the  garden,  are  continually  throwing  up  their  clear 
and  crystal  waters.  Along  the  south  end  there  is  a 
high  wall,  and  on  it  there  is  a  mural  monument  to 
General  Bravo;  (there  is  also  an  inscription  to  the 
memory  of  Bravo  in  the  castle  of  Perote).  In  front 
of  this  stands  a  chaste  temple  built  of  stone,  with  a 
handsome  dome,  and  in  it,  reclining  on  a  globe,  is 
another  statue  of  an  Indian  queen  ;  her  right  hand 
is  resting  upon  an  eagle  and  her  left  is  pointing  up- 
ward. The  design  is  beautiful,  and  is,  I  suppose, 
intended  to  represent  the  genius  of  Mexico,  with  the 


136  GEN.   LANE'S   BRIGADE  IN 

eagle  about  to  take  its  flight  to  its  home  in  the 
elouds.  The  whole  garden  forms  a  scene  of  singular 
taste  and  loveliness,  and  the  grand  mountains  in  the 
distance,  with  the  crumbling  ruins  of  an  old  con- 
vent near-by,  render  it  the  most  romantic  spot  I  ever 
visited.  On  Sundays,  the  fair  ladies  of  Puebla  roll 
along  the  roads  in  coaches,  attended  by  their  beaux 
on  horseback.  They  dress  magnificently,  and  the 
flashing  of  their  diamonds  and  brilliants  is  only 
rivaled  by  the  bewitching  glances  of  their  dark  eyes. 
They  are  beautiful  women,  and  more  noble-hearted 
creatures  do  not  exist  on  earth.  Each  walk  of  the 
garden  is  lined  with  a  row  of  rose-bushes,  and  other 
fine  flowers  are  scattered  about  in  great  profusion.  A 
more  enchanting  parterre  can  scarcely  be  imagined. 

Still  further  west,  there  is  a  fine  building  filled 
with  bathing  rooms.  A  copious  supply  of  mineral 
water  is  furnished  from  springs  near-by,  and  our 
officers  and  men  frequently  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a 
nice  bath. 

In  the  old  convent  which  I  just  spoke  of,  I  saw  an 
equestrian  statue  in  plaster.  It  was  a  good  deal 
mutilated,  but  still  enough  remained  to  show  me 
that  it  was  a  superior  work,  and  had  been  molded 
by  a  master  hand.  Who  it  was  designed  to  repre-  * 
sent,  for  what  purpose  it  was  made,  or  by  whom  it 
was  executed,  I  cannot  tell.  It  stood  there  alone, 
amid  the  crumbling  walls  of  the  building,  and  creep- 
ing ivy  and  other  vines  twined  around  the  doorways 
and  window-casings  near  it.  I  visited  it  several 
times — often  alone — and  could  not  but  regret  that 
this  admirable  specimen  of  the  arts  was  left  in  cold 
and  silent  neglect. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Mexican  people— Ladies— Peons — Food— Beggars  and  Priests — 
Soldiers — Hotels — Atlixco— Bombarding  the  town  by  raoonlight 
— Dreadful  slaughter — Pyramid  of  Cholula — Tradition  respect- 

.  ing  it — Reflections — Return  to  Puebla— Market  in  Puebla — 
Second  in  a  duel — On  guard  and  patroling. 

I  HAVE  had  frequent  occasion  in  'these  pages  to 
mention  the  Mexican  people,  though  as  yet  I  have 
not  attempted  to  describe  their  dress,  manners,  etc. 
It  seems  almost  a  matter  of  supererogation  to  do  this, 
as  scarcely  a  man,  who  visited  Mexico  in  the  late  war, 
let  the  opportunity  pass  by  of  saying  something  about 
their  peculiarities.  The  men  dress  in  loose  panta- 
loons, open  on  the  outside,  which  are  buttoned  up 
along  the  whole  length  of  the  leg,  and  adorned  with 
little  silver  ornaments.  They  wear  sugar-loafed  hats 
with  broad  brims,  and  ordinarily  have  a  small  cord 
passed  two  or  three  times  around  the  rim  ;  gold  and 
silver  ornaments  are  also  fastened  to  the  sides  of  the 
hat.  In  cool  weather  they  wrap  themselves  up  in 
blankets,  which  are  of  very  fine  texture,  and  some- 
times cost  large  sums  of  money.  Jackets  are  also 
worn  by  them  in  the  cooler  seasons  of  the  year.  They 
have  a  perfect  passion  for  fine,  clean  linen  shirts,  and 
will  work  like  heroes  to  obtain  them.  The  lower 
classes  dress  almost  any  way,  and  a  tattered  blan~ 
12  (137.) 


138  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

ket,  knee-breeches,  and  a  coarse  straw  hat,  form 
their  only  covering. 

The  higher  classes  of  ladies  dress  in  the  most 
captivating  style,  and  follow  closely  the  Parisian 
fashions,  with  the  exception  of  the  bonnet,  which  is 
unknown  in  Mexico ;  in  its  place  they  wear  a  long 
satin  mantilla,  which  is  thrown  over  their  heads 
while  walking,  and  is  fastened  to  the  back  part  of 
the  head  by  means  of  a  large  diamond  or  gold  pinT 
which  passes  through  the  mantilla  and  is  secured  to 
a  bunch  of  dark  hair  behind.  Their  dresses  are 
made  purposely  rather  short,  that  they  may  be  better 
enabled  to  display  the  faultless  symmetry  of  their 
beautiful  little  feet.  A  Mexican  lady  in  full  dress  is 
a  dangerous  object  to  meet  with,  and  unless  a  man 
is  very  cautious,  he  is  apt  to  see  her  walk  away  in  a 
proud  and  stately  manner,  bearing  with  her  his 
heart.  They  coquet  with  their  Spanish  fans  in  the 
most  exquisite  manner,  peering  over  them  with  their 
large,  dark,  Juno-like  eyes,  and  their  raven  tresses 
falling  in  heavy  masses  over  their  noble  foreheads. 
To  use  my  friend  Graham's  expression,  "  it  makes  a 
fellow  feel  aguish  to  look  at  them.  They  are  mag- 
nificent creatures,  and  no  man  could  help  but  do 
them  homage. 

A  little  lower  down  the  scale  of  womenkind  come 
the  middle  classes,  who  dress  in  fancy-colored  petti- 
coats, satin  slippers,  and  loose  waist  cut  very  low  in 
the  neck.  They  go  bare-armed,  and  wear  a  long 
shawl  called  a  reboao;  these  women,  too,  are  polite 
and  graceful  in  their  manners,  and  very  animated  in 
conversation.  Go  where  you  will,  they  treat  you 
like  ladies,  and  everything  like  vulgarity  or  low 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

breeding  is  unknown  among  them.  Their  ideas  of 
morality  are  certainly  rather  different  from  our  own, 
but  in  politeness  and  high  breeding  they  excel  any 
people  I  ever  saw.  They  smoke  little  paper  cigar- 
ritas,  and  it  is  esteemed  a  mark  of  impoliteness  not 
to  take  one  when  they  offer  them  to  you. 

The  Peons  or  slaves,  who  are  mostly  of  the  Indian 
blood,  are  quiet  and  peaceful,  and  attend  to  the 
wants  of  their  mistresses  with  much  zeal.  Every 
lady,  in  walking,  has  one  of  these  slaves  following 
her.  These  poor  things  have  great  love  for  flowers 
and  tinsel,  and  the  present  of  a  picture  of  Guadalupe 
would  make  them  your  friend  forever.  Their  dress 
is  very  simple  and  coarse.  Their  food  is  meager 
and  plain,  and  two  olacos  worth  of  pulque  exalts 
them  far  above  all  earthly  cares  or  sorrows.  They 
live  in  little  huts  in  the  country,  and  in  dingy  rooms 
in  the  cities.  They  and  the  men  of  this  class  do  all 
the  labor  and  menial  services  of  the  country.  They 
are  sometimes  whipped  in  the  most  cruel  manner  by 
their  masters  and  mistresses,  and  in  return  gener- 
ally kiss  the  hand  which  has  laid  on  the  lash.  These 
Indians  make  the  finest  waxwork  I  ever  saw,  and 
their  little  stands,  covered  with  wax  images  two  or 
three  inches  high,  were  scattered  about  all  over  the 
cities.  Priests,  fine  ladies,  men,  children  and  Amer- 
ican soldiers,  were  copied  by  them  in  wax,  with  a 
truthfulness  and  finish  truly  astonishing.  Nothing 
escaped  their  glances,  and  from  the  most  ludicrous 
figures  to  the  most  noble  looking  ladies  and  officers, 
they  caught  the  inspiration  and  made  a  copy  in- 
stanter. 

drees  of  their  soldiers  was  generally-  blue  jack- 


140  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

ets  and  blue  pants.     Some  of  them  wore  green  cov^. 
and  blue  pants  trimmed  with  red.     Most  of  the  sol 
diers  wore  hats,  though  the  9th  regiment  of  lancer^ 
wore  conical-shaped  leather  caps,  with  little  red  ball' 
in  the  top. 

The  food  of  the  masses  consists  of  tortillas,  fri 
joles,  chile,  and  pan  de  mice.  They  eat  very  littlt 
meat,  but  a  great  deal  of  fruit,  which  in  that  country 
reaches  the  highest  perfection.  Tortillas  are  made 
by  rubbing  soft  corn  on  a  hard  stone,  by  means  of 
a  stone  roller,  until  it  becomes  a  soft  mass,  and  it  is 
then  flattened  out  by  being  patted  into  shape  by  the 
hands  of  the  women ;  it  is  then  laid  on  a  tin  plate 
over  a  little  furnace,  and  baked.  In  this  way,  a  pile 
of  tortillas  are  baked  and  prepared  ready  for  a  meal. 
Frijoles  are  black  beans,  boiled  soft  and  highly  sea 
soned  with  red  pepper  or  chile.  The  chile  itself  is 
red  pepper,  and  is  prepared  for  eating  by  being  boiled 
in  a  little  water.  The  Mexicans  eat  immense  quan- 
tities of  this,  and  some  of  our  officers  supposed  this 
was  the  reason  why  the  wolves  would  not  eat  the 
dead  bodies  of  Mexican  soldiers,  when  they  devoured 
our  dead  men  with  the  greatest  avidity.  Pan  de 
mice,  or  corn  bread,  is  prepared  by  cooking  the  corn 
a  little,  and  then  putting  it  in  corn  husks.  Sweet 
potatos  are  also  used  as  articles  of  diet,  and  the  large 
red  ones  which  they  raise,  are  delicious.  Their 
household  furniture,  I  mean  of  course  that  of  the 
lower  classes,  is  neither  expensive  nor  extensive. 
They  eat  while  sitting  on  the  floor,  and  scoop  up 
their  chile  with  tortillas,  which  are  exactly  like  our 
pancakes.  A  few  mats,  or  a  cowhide,  stretched 
npon  poles,  are  used  fbr  their  beds,  and  for  a  ccrver- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  141 

ing  they  use  their  blankets,  which  serve  also  as  a 
protection  by  day. 

The  valley  of  Puebla  is  in  many  places  well  culti- 
vated, and  a  few  landholders  own  immense  tracts  of 
it;  their  system  of  culture  would  hardly  be  com- 
patible with  young  America's  ideas  of  progress,  and 
one  is  surprised  that  they  can  get  along  at  all.  The 
plows  which  they  use  are  of  primitive  make,  and 
consist  of  crooked  sticks  of  wood,  with  long  tongues. 
Oxen  are  hitched  to  them  by  means  of  crossbars, 
passing  over  the  tongues,  which  are  lashed  on  in 
front  of  their  horns.  The  plowman  seizes  hold  of 
the  handle  of  the  plow,  and  directs  his  oxen  by 
means  of  a  long  goad.  They  use  hoes  in  the  culti- 
vation of  their  corn,  and  gangs  of  Peons  may  be  seen 
at  all  times  quietly  and  busily  at  work  in  the  fields. 

At  night  these  Peons  assemble  in  front  of  the 
haciendas,  and  all  sing  together  a  hymn  to  the  Vir- 
gin. Their  wild  songs  at  nightfall  have  a  melan- 
choly sound,  and  remind  one  of  their  old  and  bar- 
barous worship  of  stone  idols.  Their  singing  sounds 
almost  unearthly,  and  in  the  quiet  evening  the  strains 
are  wafted  to  a  great  distance,  full  of  plaintive  feel- 
ing and  wild  pathos. 

Beggars  and  priests  swarm  in  Puebla,  and  both 
have  the  same  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood,  which 
is  alms.  Some  of  the  beggars  are  hideous-looking 
objects,  and  make  such  home-thrusts  at  a  man's 
pocket  that  he  generally  surrenders  at  once.  One 
in  particular  I  recollect  in  Puebla,  and  of  all  sights 
she  was  the  worst.  She  had  full  use  of  her  nether 
limbs,  but  her  arms  were  horribly  mutilated,  and  I 


143  GE».  LANE'S  BRIGADE  is 

declare  to  you  upon  the  honor  of  a  man,  she  had  ouo 
eye  in  her  forehead  and  another  in  her  cheek,  both 
of  which  were  bleared.  She  wonld  come  running 
after  us  full  tilt,  and  thrust  her  mangled  arms  in 
our  faces  and  cry  "For  1' amor  de  Diosl"  It  was 
frightful !  We  all  shunned  her,  though  we  were 
perfectly  willing  to  get  her  out  of  sight  by  paying 
her  money.  She  was  more  effectual  in  putting  Amer- 
icans to  flight  than  a  squadron  of  Lancers,  and  was 
called  by  our  boys  "The  hell-bird."  She  belonged 
to  that  interesting  class  of  people  known  in  Mexico 
as  leperos.  The  whole  body  of  Indians  received  the 
name  of  "  cracked  heels  "  from  our  soldiers. 

The  priests  and  monks  in  the  city  number  about 
two  thousand,  and  have  many  beautiful  churches, 
convents  and  nunneries  under  their  control.  The 
people  revere  them,  and  when  the  old  Bishop  rides 
out  in  his  coach,  every  man  and  woman  instantly 
kneels  down  and  remains  in  that  position  until  his 
illustrious  highness  has  passed  by.  They  despised 
the  Americans  for  not  following  their  example,  and 
looked  at  us  as  though  it  would  afford  them  great 
pleasure  to  eat  us  up. 

The  people  of  Mexico  have  a  decided  talent  for 
music.  Their  orchestras  were  good,  and  their  mili- 
tary bands  are  of  the  first  order.  We  had  two  Mex- 
ican drummers  in  our  regiment,  and  took  a  whole 
set  of  brass  musical  instruments  at  HuamantlaT 
which  had  been  used  by  one  of  Santa  Anna's  bands. 
Guitars  and  mandolins  were  the  favorite  instruments 
of  the  Mexicans,  and  they  seemed  never  more  happy 
than  when  wheeling  in  the  waltz  to  their  music. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

They  had  miany  excellent  players,  who  took  great 
delight  in  music.  Their  singing  and  theaters  I  will 
speak  of  hereafter. 

Gambling  is  a  besetting  sin,  and  from  the  highest 
priest  to  the  lowest  lepero,  all  engaged  in  it  with 
great  earnestness.  Monte  is  the  favorite  game,  and 
I  have  seen  as  curious  a  medley  around  a  monte- 
table  as  can  well  be  imagined.  American  officers, 
priests,  white-armed  ladies,  and  dapper  Mexicans, 
all  in  the  highest  excitement,  and  betting  large  sums 
upon  the  turn  of  a  card.  The  Mexicans  loved 
silver  money,  and  the  jingle  of  Mexican  dollars  waa 
the  most  welcome  sound  that  could  greet  their  ears. 
In  this  connection  I  may  as  well  remark  that  we 
passed  a  silver  mine  on  our  way  up  from  Vera  Cruz, 
which,  however,  was  not  worked  at  that  time. 
Broken  shafts  and  broken  crucibles  lay  scattered 
over  the  ground,  and  all  around  was  desolation.  It 
is  said,  and  I  think  truly,  that  since  the  establish- 
ment of  the  mint  in  the  city  of  Mexico  it  has  coined 
alone  upward  of  three  thousand  millions  of  dollars. 
Mexico,  since  its  first  discovery,  has  produced  more 
silver  than  all  the  rest  of  the  world  united,  and 
there  are  now  more  than  three  thousand  silver  mines 
in  the  Republic. 

I  think  it  was  about  the  third  day  after  our  arrival 
in  Puebla  that  I  went  down  to  the  Governor's  Palace 
and  saw  there  a  small  party  of  Mexican  soldiers, 
that  had  come  into  the  city  with  a  flag  of  truce. 
Colonel  Tzunca  had  command  of  the  party,  and  his 
object  in  coming  in  was  to  effect  if  possible  the 
release  of  La  Vega  and  Iturbide.  These  latter  offi» 
cers  were  afterward  placed  on  parole;  that  ia,  they 


144  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE   IK 

were  permitted  to  go  wherever  they  pleased,  provided 
they  did  not  fight  against  the  Americans  until  they 
were  exchanged  or  the  war  closed,  when  they  were 
given  their  entire  liberty.  My  object  in  introducing 
Col.  Izunca's  party  in  this  place  is,  that  I  may  give 
the  reader  an  idea  of  the  looks  of  a  Mexican  lancer. 
The  party  was  in  the  court-yard,  and  when  I  saw 
them  they  were  all  dismounted.  Their  little  mus- 
tangs stood  meekly  alongside  of  them,  and  their 
smoking  flanks  and  distended  nostrils  bespoke  that 
they  had  been  ridden  hard.  The  lancers  crouched 
down  on  the  flagstones  of  the  yard,  with  the  staves 
of  their  lances  sticking  up  between  the  stones.  One 
of  them  was  certainly  the  most  villainous-looking 
wretch  I  ever  saw.  He  was  about  half  negro,  and 
constant  exposure  to  the  sun  had  blackened  his  face 
in  addition  to  his  sable  color.  He  wore  an  enormous 
moustache  and  whiskers,  and  was  a  perfect  giant  in 
stature.  His  huzzar  cap  set  on  the  back  part  of  his 
head,  with  the  front  piece  turned  up,  and  was  fast- 
ened under  his  chin  by  means  of  a  leather  strap, 
which  gave  his  dusky  features  a  hideous  shape,  and 
I  heard  a  number  of  our  men  express  a  wish  that 
they  might  kill  him  for  no  other  reason  than  his 
really  devilish  looks.  His  companions  were  all 
equally  as  bad  looking,  but  none  of  them  made  such 
an  impression  upon  me  as  this  negro  giant. 

The  soldiers  of  Mexico  lived  on  scant  rations,  and 
underwent  great  hardships.  They  lived  on  fruit, 
with  a  little  flour  and  sugar.  Chili  pepper  was 
sometimes  found  about  them,  though  as  a  general 
thing  their  haversacks  afforded  very  poor  picking. 
Onr  men,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  had  a  kind  of  prying 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  145 

curiosity,  and  never  let  the  opportunity  pass  to  gain 
as  much  knowledge  as  possible. 

The  hotels  of  Mexico  will  bear  no  comparison  with 
our  own.  There  were  three  in  Puebla,  called  respect- 
ively the  Sociedad  del  Progresso,  the  Sociedad  del 
Commercio,  and  the  Vera  Cruzana.  The  Washing- 
ton House  was  purely  an  American  establishment, 
and  was  used  as  a  gambling  and  drinking  saloon. 
The  Mexican  hotels  are  sorry  establishments,  and 
unless  a  man  comes  well  provided  with  provisions 
and  clothing  he  may  expect  to  have  but  slim  accom- 
modations. A  meal  for  a  Mexican  family  would 
scarcely  make  a  decent  repast  for  one  American,  and 
the  hotels  carry  out  the  principle  of  subtraction  to 
an  alarming  extent.  In  fact,  "nada" — nothing — is 
a  familiar  word  in  the  valley  of  Anahuac,  and  if  a 
man  were  asked  what  was  inside  of  his  head,  I  be- 
lieve he  would  give  this  for  an  answer,  which  would 
be  very  truthful.  I  believe  some  of  my  friends  will 
bear  me  out  in  the  assertion,  that  it  is  really  a  mira- 
cle how  some  Mexicans  live.  I  have  frequently 
dined  with  them,  where  they  cooked  for  me,  as  an 
especial  favor,  a  couple  of  eggs.  But,  bless  their 
souls,  they  did  the  best  they  could  for  me,  and  why 
should  I  find  fault  ? 

Chris.  Graham,  Abe  Lewis  and  myself  were  once 
invited  by  an  old  Mexican  to  come  and  eat  dinner 
with  him.  We  accepted  the  invitation  of  course, 
and  went  to  his  house,  where  he  had  prepared  a 
large  turkey  and  plenty  of  pulque  for  us.  The 
turkey  was  swimming  in  red  pepper,  but  still  we 
forced  it  down,  and  put  out  the  fire  with  pulque. 
The  old  Mexican  liked  us,  as  we  were  all  young  and 
13 


145  GEN.  LANE'S  BBIGADE  IN 

full  of  fun,  and  we  would  not  have  insulted  him  by 
not  eating  his  victuals  for  the  world.  These  are 
some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Mexicans,  and  with 
my  dear  reader's  leave  I  will  return  to  my  cell  in 
the  convent,  and  leave  the  poor  Mexicans  alone. 

On  the  18th  of  October,  General  Lane  sent  orders 
to  the  commanders  of  the  different  corps  to  have 
their  troops  in  readiness  for  a  long  march  on  the 
following  morning,  as  he  had  learned  that  General 
Rea,  with  a  large  Mexican  force,  was  at  the  city  of 
Atlixco,  thirty  miles  from  Puebla,  and  had  deter- 
mined to  attack  him.  Our  men  had  hardly  recov- 
ered from  the  fatigues  of  our  long  march ;  but  there 
was  a  prospect  of  a  fight,  and  all  seemed  eager  to 
be  on  the  track. 

The  Captain  of  our  company  was  sick,  and  accord- 
ingly I  was  in  command.  After  receiving  the  or- 
ders, our  men  pipeclayed  their  belts  anew,  scraped 
their  flints,  burnished  the  barrels  of  their  muskets, 
and  prepared  everything  as  well  as  possible  for  the 
coining  fray.  Many  of  our  men  were  barefoot,  and 
these  went  out  and  borrowed  shoes  from  the  Mexi- 
cans; while  those  whose  clothes  were  dilapidated 
drew  the  rents  together  with  packthread. 

About  nine  o'clock,  A.  M.,  on  the  19th,  our  regi- 
ment was  formed  in  front  of  the  convent  of  San 
Augustine ;  and  shortly  afterward  we  marched 
through  the  streets  of  the  city  to  the  merry  strains 
of  shrill  fifes  and  clanging  drums.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  bells  of  the  city  had  conspired  to  drown 
our  music ;  and  when  the  iron  tongue  of  the  great 
bell  in  the  Cathedral  thundered  forth  its  hoarse 
notes  it  was  echoed  back  by  a  hundred  minor  voices 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  147 

that  filled  the  air  with  sonorous  sounds.  We  did 
not  care !  and  marched  along  with  our  colors  un- 
furled ;  and  many  a  dark-eyed  senorita  watched  us 
from  the  balconies  as  we  passed. 

The  troops  that  marched  out  were  the  4th  Ohio 
regiment,  under  Col.  Brough,  Lieut.-Col.  Moore, 
and  Major  Young ;  the  4th  Indiana  regiment,  un- 
der Col.  Gorman,  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  and  Major 
McCoy ;  a  battalion  of  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment ;  the  regulars,  under  Major  Lally  and  Capt. 
Heintzelman ;  two  batteries  of  light  artillery,  under 
Capt.  Taylor  and  Lieut.  Pratt ;  and  a  squadron  of 
cavalry,  under  Capt.  Ford,  of  the  3d  dragoons. 

The  sun  was  excessively  hot,  and  we  pressed 
along  the  hard  road  with  blistered  feet  and  parched 
tongues.  We  passed  the  Pyramid  of  Cholula,  which 
we  had  no  time  to  visit,  and  wound  gradually  round 
the  base  of  the  volcano  of  Popocatapetl.  About 
four  o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  near  the  hamlet  of  Santa 
Isabella,  the  advance  of  the  enemy  appeared,  and 
poured  in  upon  us  a  volley  of  escopet  balls,  which 
luckily  did  us  no  damage ;  and  we  were  ordered  to 
halt.  We  had  traveled  twenty-one  miles,  and  were 
excessively  fatigued  and  thirsty;  the  cavalry  was 
off  to  the  right  of  the  road,  where  they  had  been 
burning  a  noted  guerrilla  den ;  the  dark,  thick 
smoke  was  rolling  up  in  heavy  masses,  and  the 
flames  were  dancing  around  the  thatched  roof. 
They  came  galloping  by  us  to  the  front,  when  Lieut.- 
Col.  Moore,  with  a  portion  of  the  Ohio  regiment, 
and  Major  Lally's  command  were  ordered  forward. 
Scarcely  had  our  men  commenced  advancing  when 
the  Mexicans  gave  way.  The  cavalry  was  then 


148  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

ordered  to  pursue  them,  and  keep  them  engaged 
until  the  infantry,  which  was  moving  forward  at 
double-quick  time,  should  reach  them. 

Lieut.  Pratt,  with  his  guns,  was  ordered  to  follow 
the  cavalry  at  a  gallop;  but  a  portion  of  the  infan- 
try filling  up  the  way,  he  was  obliged  to  halt,  as 
there  was  no  chance  to  debouche  from  the  main 
road,  the  ground  on  either  side  being  broken  by 
ravines,  and  covered  with  loose  stones. 

The  dragoons  followed  the  enemy  closely,  and 
soon  became  engaged  with  a  battalion  of  the  National 
Guard.  A  running  fight  was  kept  up  for  about  a  mile 
and  a  half,  when  the  enemy  reached  a  hill,  formed  in 
line,  and  held  the  dragoon's  in  check  until  the  head 
of  the  infantry  column  appeared,  when  they  again 
broke  and  fled.  Another  running  fight  of  four  miles 
ensued,  the  dragoons  making  terrible  havoc  among 
the  retreating  masses,  and  leaving  the  road  literally 
strewed  with  dead  and  dying  men.  At  this  point, 
when  within  two  miles  of  Atlixco,  a  large  body  of 
Mexicans  was  seen  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  on  a 
side-hill  to  the  left  of  the  road.  Their  front  was 
covered  with  chapparel,  and  they  waited  for  the 
charge  of  our  men.  The  dragoons  poured  in  upon 
them,  cutting  them  down  in  great  numbers  with 
their  sabres,  and  fighting  with  all  the  cruel  maliir- 

O  O  t5 

nity  of  revenge ;  the  bushes  were  so  thick,  that  they 
were  obliged  to  dismount  and  fight  on  foot;  this  was 
a  most  sanguinary  struggle,  and  lasted  some  time. 
The  infantry,  nearly  ready  to  drop  down  with 
fatigue,  had  been  moving  forward  on  the  run  for 
BIX  miles,  to  share  in  the  engagement ;  but  on  our 
approach  the  Mexicans,  to  our  chagrin,  broke  their 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  149 

line  again,  and  retreated  toward  Atlixco.  Theliorses 
of  the  dragoons  were  by  this  time  so  much  fatigued 
that  they  could  follow  the  enemy  no  further. 

The  column  now  advanced  more  leisurely,  and 
came  in  sight  of  the  town  of  Atlixco  after  dark. 
"We  were  again  fired  upon;  and  Gen.  LariS,  deeming 
it  inexpedient  to  enter  the  town,  as  we  were  per- 
fectly unacquainted  with  it,  gave  the  order  for  the 
artillery  to  move  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  road 
on  high  ground,  and  commence  battering  down  the 
town.  The  infantry  halted  in  the  road  ;  and  many 
of  our  men  were  so  fatigued  that  they  fell  into  a 
doze  while  sitting  beside  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
Mexicans  who  had  been  killed  near  the  town,  and 
the  booming  of  our  artillery  seemed  scarcely  to  dis- 
turb their  slumbers. 

The  artillery  was  unlimbered,  and  the  batteries 
opened.  The  fire  was  terribly  effective;  the  shot 
from  the  guns  ripped  open  the  houses,  while  the 
shells  from  the  howitzers  passed  through  the  flat 
roofs,  exploded,  and  tore  the  buildings  into  frag- 
ments. The  night  was  beautiful,  and  the  moon  gave 
sufficient  light  to  see  objects  distinctly  at  some  dis- 
tance. I  could  watch  the  course  of  many  of  the 
shells,  as  they  sailed  through  the  air,  by  the  light  of 
their  burning  fuses,  and  could  even  see  some  of 
them  when  they  struck  the  buildings  in  the  town. 
Lieut.  II.  C.  Pratt's  battery  was  well  served,  and  he 
received  the  brevet  rank  of  Captain  for  his  gallant 
and  meritorious  conduct  in  this  affair.  The  inhab- 
itants suffered  severely,  and,  to  use  their  own 
description,  they  thought  hell  had  opened,  and  was 
raining  fire  an4  brimstone  down  upon  the  people. 


160  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

After  firing  nearly  an  hour,  Gen.  Lane  ordered  it 
to  cease,  and  directed  the  infantry  column  to  enter 
the  city.  Colonel  Brough  and  Major  Lally  led  the 
advance,  and  after  clambering  over  piles  of  stone 
and  mortar,  we  reached  the  Grand  Plaza.  All  was 
quiet,  save  the  groans  of  the  wounded,  and  the  waila 
of  some  poor  females  as  they  knelt  beside  the  cold 
and  rigid  forms  of  those  they  loved. 

General  Rea,  the  Mexican  commander,  retreated 
as  we  entered  Atlixco,  and  made  the  best  of  his  way 
toward  Matamoros,  a  town  eleven  leagues  distant, 
•with  two  pieces  of  cannon,  and  the  shattered  rem- 
nant of  his  forces.  "  Scarcely  ever,"  says  Lane,  in 
his  report  to  the  Secretary  of  "War,  "has  a  more 
rapid  forced  march  been  made  than  this,  or  one 
productive  of  better  results.  Atlixco  has  been  the 
head-quarters  of  the  Guerrilleros  in  this  section  of 
the  country,  and  of  late  the  seat  of  government  of 
this  State.  From  here  all  expeditions  have  been 
fitted  out  against  our  troops.  So  much  terror  has 
been  impressed  upon  them,  at  thus  having  war 
brought  to  their  own  homes,  that  I  am  inclined  to 
believe  they  will  give  us  no  more  trouble." 

By  midnight  we  were  all  resting,  except  the  sen- 
tinels who  moved  about  here  and  there  like  specters, 
in  the  dark  shadows  of  the  buildings. 

"  Thousands  had  Bunk  on  the  ground  overpowered, 
The  weary  to  sleep,  and  the  wounded  to  die." 

The  slaughter  had  been  almost  beyond  account, 
and  the  Mexicans  themselves  admitted  that  they 
lost  two  hundred  and  nineteen  killed  and  over  three 
hundred  wounded.  Great  as  this  may  seem,  I. am 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  1 51 

inclined  to  think,  from  what  I  saw,  that  their  loss  was 
even  more  than  they  reported.  Over  five  hundred 
individuals  lay  killed  and  wounded  around  us ;  while 
our  own  loss  amounted  to  but  one  dragoon  killed, 
two  men  wounded,  and  one  missing.  Private  James 
McDermott,  of  my  company,  was  severely  wounded, 
having  become  detached  from  us  in  some  way,  and 
we  gave  him  up  for  dead.  Two  days  after  our 
return  to  Puebla,  he  crawled  into  the  convent  on 
his  hands  and  knees,  nearly  naked,  and  had  eleven 
lance-wounds  on  his  body.  He  had  been  attacked 
by  the  Mexicans,  who  disarmed  him,  and  after 
killing  him,  as  they  supposed,  they  threw  his  body 
into  a  ditch.  Mac  crawled  out,  and  after  four  days 
of  intense  suffering  reached  our  company  in  safety. 
We  were  all  glad  to  see  him,  as  he  was  a  good 
soldier,  and  had  seen  service  before  in  Florida. 

Private  John  Border,  of  Captain  Lander's  com- 
pany of  the  4th  Indiana  regiment,  was  the  missing 
man,  and  it  afterward  proved  that  he  deserted.  In 
Lane's  expedition  to  Matamoros  he  was  retaken,  and 
while  again  trying  to  desert  was  shot  through  the 
lower  part  of  the  face  by  a  sentinel,  and  died  from 
the  effects  of  the  wound  in  a  day  or  two  afterward. 
He  was  a  foreigner  by  birth. 

Had  General  Lane's  intentions  been  carried  out 
we  should  undoubtedly  have  captured  the  whole 
Mexican  force,  but  Pratt's  battery  was  taken  from 
the  place  assigned  to  it,  and  could  not,  as  before 
mentioned,  follow  the  dragoons.  A  fine  battalion 
of  the  National  Guard  of  Puebla  was  cut  to  pieces, 
and  I  afterward  became  acquainted  with  a  lady 
whose  husband  was  killed  in  the  fight.  He  was  a 


152  GEN.   LANE'S   BRIGADE  IN 

captain,  and  I  recollect  seeing  the  poor  fellow  lying 
dead  in  the  road  with  a  ball  hole  through  his  breast. 

We  lay  over-night  in  the  city,  and  a  number  of 
scenes  of  horror,  which  are  too  cruel  to  mention,  I 
witnessed  there. 

General  Lane  spoke  highly  of  his  soldiers,  and  a 
number  of  the  cavalry  officers  were  particularly 
recommended  to  the  notice  of  the  War  Departmen  t 
for  their  gallant  conduct.  Captain  Ford  and  Lieut. 
Martin  of  the  3d  dragoons,  Captain  Lewis  and 
Lieutenants  Lilly,  Henderson  and  1st  Lieut.  Waters 
were  of  this  number. 

The  morning  after  the  fight  we  searched  for  arms 
and  ammunition,  but  not  finding  any  worth  mention- 
ing our  column  again  set  out  on  its  return  to  Puebla. 
The  road  over  which  we  passed  was  the  same  by 
which  we  entered,  and  heaps  of  slain  were  lying 
along  it  in  every  imaginable  position ;  in  one  place 
I  counted  over  thirty  lying  pell-mell  one  above  an- 
other. The  sight  was  sickening  and  sad,  and  aroused 
in  my  mind  a  train  of  reflections,  which,  however,  I 
shall  not  intrude  upon  the  reader.  My  business 
was  to  obey  orders  and  ask  no  questions. 

Going  back  I  had  an  opportunity  to  take  some 
observations  as  to  the  character  of  the  country, 
which  I  had  been  unable  to  do  on  the  preceding  day. 
We  passed  a  number  of  fine  haciendas,  and  the  fields 
along  the  route  appeared  to  be  well  tilled.  Our 
column  had  scared  away  the  Mexicans ;  though  on 
our  march  out,  on  the  day  before,  we  passed  a  Cath- 
olic burial  procession  near  the  outskirts  of  Puebla, 
which  was  slowly  wending  its  way  toward  an  old 
church  half-hid  by  cypress  and  poplar  trees.  The 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  153 

priests  were  dressed  in  full  robes,  and  carried  long 
crosses  in  their  hands.  The  dead  body  was  that  of 
an  infant,  and  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  it  as  it  lay  in 
its  coffin,  covered  with  roses  and  flowers,  when  they 
passed  us.  The  little  thing  looked  happy,  and  I 
could  not  but  contrast  the  beautiful  ceremonies 
which  they  performed,  with  our  stiff  and  puritanical 
forms  in  the  United  States.  At  that  funeral  every- 
thing was  appropriate,  the  flowers  were  emblemati- 
cal of  the  heaven  which  the  child  was  then  in,  and 
the  little  wreath  of  roses  around  its  brow,  bespoke 
that  glorious  crown  of  immortality.  Dead  men 
had  no  terrors  to  me,  but  the  beauty  and  simplicity 
of  that  child's  burial  melted  more  than  one  heart  in 
our  martial  column. 

On  the  night  of  the  20th  we  halted  a  short  dis- 
tance from  Cholula,  and  on  that  ground  which  ages 
ago  teemed  with  human  beings  of  another  race,  and 
far  different  from  any  now  on  earth,  we  prepared 
our  evening  meal.  Our  soldiers  had  a  turkey  and 
some  honey,  and  they  sent  me  a  fine  piece,  of  which 
I  made  a  capital  supper.  Lieut.  Barber  and  myself 
were  the  only  officers  with  the  company,  and  after 
a  quiet  evening  we  cut  some  cornstalks  and  laying 
our  blankets  down  on  them  prepared  to  take  a  com- 
fortable night's  rest.  The  night  was  quiet  and  the 
next  morning  we  marched  into  the  village  of  Cholnla, 
which  contained  about  twenty-five  hundred  inhabit- 
ants. The  soldiers  under  Lane's  command  who  went 
to  Atlixco  numbered  something  more  than  two  thou- 
sand. At  the  village  the  people  came  out  and  gave 
us  sweet  bread  and  pulque,  of  which  we  made  a 
good  breakfast.  Lane,  while  here,  learned  that  two 


154  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

pieces  of  artillery  had  just  been  finished  by  the 
Mexicans  at  Guexocingo,  a  town  some  distance  off, 
and  determined  if  possible  to  capture  them.  Taking 
with  him  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  men,  mostly 
Ohioans  and  Pennsylvanians,  with  a  few  regulars 
and  Capt.  Taylor's  artillery,  he  immediately  set  out, 
leaving  the  rest  of  the  command  to  return  to  Puebla. 
He  reached  the  town  where  he  found  a  party  of  the 
enemy,  who  immediately  retreated ;  after  a  thorough 
search  he  found  the  gun-carriages  though  the  can- 
non had  been  hid.  The  carriages  were  burnt  and 
Lane  returned  to  Puebla  on  the  21st  of  October. 

Colonel  Gorman  gave  us  a  chance  to  visit  the 
world-renowned  Pyramid  of  Cholula,  and  I  venture 
to  say  that  since  the  time  of  Cortez  so  large  a  num- 
ber of  soldiers  had  never  visited  it  at  one  time. 
We  collected  a  number  of  curiosities  and  I  had  the 
effrontery  to  take  away  a  few  "  bricks."  These 
bricks,  of  which  the  pyramid  is  composed,  are  about 
three  inches  long,  one  inch  thick  and  two  inches 
wide  and  are  of  a  grayish  color. 

The  side  of  the  pyramid  is  covered  with  bushes, 
and  a  person  might  pass  it  twenty  times  and  have 
no  idea  that  it  is  artificial.  Some  of  our  men  had 
but  a  faint  conception  of  its  meaning,  and  I  heard 
one  of  them  sagely  inform  his  companions  that  this 
was  the  place  where  so  many  languages  originated. 
Of  course  he  meant  the  tower  of  Babel. 

Of  the  Pyramid  of  Cholula  nothing  is  definitely 
known.  By  whom  it  was  built,  how  long  ago,  and 
for  what  purpose,  we  cannot  tell;  there  it  stands 
alone  on  the  plain,  and  there  it  has  stood  for  ages ! 
It  is  eight  miles  distant  from  Puebla,  and  is  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  155 

greatest  work  of  antiquity  on  the  American  conti- 
nent. It  is  built  in  the  form  of  three  stories  or  steps, 
one  above  another,  and  a  winding  road,  paved  by 
the  Spaniards,  runs  to  the  top,  where  there  is  a  level 
piece  of  ground  on  which  is  erected  a  neat  Catholic 
church.  The  perpendicular  height  is  177  feet,  and 
the  steeple  of  the  church  runs  up  60  feet  above  this. 
The  base  is  1355  feet.  As  I  before  remarked,  the 
whole  pyramid  is  composed  of  small  white  bricks. 

The  city  of  Cholula  at  the  time  of  its  discovery, 
in  1519,  by  Cortez,  was  a  splendid  place,  and  his 
description  of  it  says  that  it  contained  twenty  thou- 
sand houses  within  the  body  of  the  town  and  as 
many  in  the  suburbs,  and  from  one  of  the  temples 
he  counted  more  than  four  hundred  towers,  and 
they  were  all  the  towers  of  temples.  What  a  change! 
that  mighty  city  is  lost  forever,  and  nothing  save 
the  pyramid  tells  of  its  former  grandeur !  Here  too, 
Cortez  had  a  dreadful  battle  with  the  Cholulans, 
and  by  the  aid  of  the  Tlascalans,  who  were  the 
hereditary  enemies  of  the  Cholulans,  he  destroyed 
six  thousand  of  them  without  the  loss  of  a  single 
soldier,  and  continued  his  march  toward  Mexico, 
there  to  attack  Montezuma.  We  thought  Cortez 
had  wrought  miracles  in  his  battle,  but  it  was  no 
more  strange  than  the  battle  we  had  had  the  day 
before  at  Atlixco,  and  after  all  it  was  only  "  distance 
that  lent  enchantment  to  the  view." 

An  old  Indian  tradition  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  building  of  the  pyramid.  This  tradi- 
tion has  been  recorded,  says  Baron  Humboldt,  by  a 
Dominican  monk. 

"Before  the  great  inundation,  which,  took  place 


156  GEN.  LANE'S  BIIIGADE  IN 

4800  years  after  the  creation  of  the  world,  the  coun- 
try of  Anahnac  was  inhabited  by  giants,  all  of 
whom  either  perished  in  the  inundation,  or  were 
transformed  into  fishes,  save  seven,  who  fled  into 
caverns.  When  the  waters  subsided,  one  of  the  giants, 
called  Xelhua,  surnamed  'the  architect,'  went  to 
Cholula,  where,  as  a  memorial  of  the  Tlaloc  moun- 
tain, which  had  served  as  an  asylum  to  himself  and 
his  six  brethren,  he  built  an  artificial  hill  in  the 
form  of  a  pyramid.  He  ordered  bricks  to  be  made 
in  the  province  of  Tlalmanalco,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Sierra  of  Cocotl,  and  in  order  to  convey  them  to 
Cholula,  he  placed  a  file  of  men  who  passed  them 
from  hand  to  hand.  The  gods  beheld  with  wrath, 
an  edifice  the  top  of  which  was  to  reacli  the  clouds. 
Irritated  at  the  daring  attempt  of  Xelhua,  they 
hurled  fire  on  the  pyramid !  Numbers  of  the  work- 
men perished.  The  work  was  discontinued,  and 
the  monument  was  afterward  dedicated  to  Quetzal- 
coatl, or  the  god  of  the  air." 

This  Quetzalcoatl  was  tall  and  huge  with  a  fair 
complexion,  broad  forehead,  large  eyes,  long  black 
hair  and  flowing  beard.  He  was  so  rich  that  he 
had  palaces  of  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones,  and 
his  voice  could  be  heard  from  the  mountains  for  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  miles.  In  his  day  corn 
grew  so  large  that  a  single  ear  was  a  load  for  a  man, 
and  gourds  were  as  long  as  a  man's  body.  It  was 
unnecessary  to  dye  cotton,  for  it  grew  of  all  colors. 
The  god  Quetzalcoatl  showed  much  aversion  to 
cruelty  and  could  not  bear  the  name  of  war.  After 
reigning  twenty  years,  says  Dr.  McCulloch,  he  sud- 
denly disappeared  and  the  pyramid  was  dedicated  to 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  157 

his  worship.  Another  writer  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  ceremonies  on  the  days  dedicated  to 
this  god. 

"  There  was  at  this  temple  of  Quetzalcoatl  at 
Cholula,  a  court  of  reasonable  greatness,  in  which 
the  Indians  made  great  dances  and  pastimes  with 
games  and  comedies,  on  the  festival  days  of  this  idol ; 
for  which  purpose  there  was  in  the  midst  of  this  court 
a  theater  of  thirty  feet  square,  very  finely  decked 
and  trimmed — the  which  they  decked  with  flowers 
that  day — with  all  the  art  and  invention  that  might 
be,  being  environed  around  with  arches  of  divers 
flowers  and  feathers,  and  in  some  places  there  were 
tied  many  small  birds,  conies  and  other  tame  beasts. 
After  dinner  all  the  people  assembled  in  this  place, 
and  the  players  presented  themselves  and  played 
comedies.  Some  counterfeited  the  deaf  and  rheu- 
matic; others  the  lame ;  some  the  blind  and  crippled 
which  came  to  seek  a  cure  from  the  idol.  The  deaf 
answered  confusedly;  the  rheumatic  coughed;  the 
lame  halted  telling  their  miseries  and  griefs,  where- 
with they  made  the  people  laugh.  Others  came 
forth  in  the  form  of  little  beasts,  some  attired  like 
snails,  others  like  toads,  and  some  like  lizards  ;  then 
meeting  together  they  told  their  offices,  and  every 
one  retiring  to  his  place,  they  sounded  on  small 
flutes,  which  was  pleasant  to  hear.  They  likewise 
counterfeited  butterflies  and  small  birds  of  divers 
colors,  which  were  represented  by  the  children  who 
were  sent  to  the  temple  for  education.  Then  they 
went  into  a  little  forest,  planted  there  for  the  pur-. 
pose,  whence  the  priests  of  the  temple  drew  them 
forth  with  music.  In  the  meantime  they  used  many 


158  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

pleasant  speeches,  some  in  propounding,  others  in 
defending,  wherewith  the  assistants  were  pleasantly 
entertained.  This  done,  they  made  a  masque  or 
mummery  with  all  these  personages,  and  so  the 
feast  ended." 

From  the  extracts  which  I  have  given  the  reader 
will  perceive  that  everything  connected  with  the 
origin  of  the  pyramid  is  wrapped  in  mystery,  and 
all  the  accounts  of  its  building  are  only  pleasing 
fables.  That  it  was  built  long  before  the  discovery 
of  this  country  by  the  Spaniards,  there  is  no  doubt, 
and  even  then  the  race  of  men  who  had  constructed 
it,  had  passed  from  the  earth.  It  stands  alone  a 
silent  memento  of  the  past,  and  there  it  will  stand 
till  future  ages. 

Another  account  attributes  the  building  of  the 
pyramid  to  the  Toltecs  in  the  eleventh  century,  but 
this  is  not  susceptible  of  proof,  and  we  are  left  as 
much  in  the  dark  as  ever,  concerning  it.  I  pur- 
chased from  the  Indians  near  the  pyramid  a  num- 
ber of  clay  images,  which  were  doubtless  idols  used 
by  the  ancient  inhabitants.  Large  quantities  of  them 
are  found  in  Cholula  and  other  ancient  cities,  and 
quite  a  trade  is  carried  on  by  the  poor  people  in 
these  wares.  Some  of  them  are  hideous  looking, 
though  they  all  evince  talent  in  molding,  and  show 
that  the  ancient  Mexicans  had  made  considerable 
progress  in  the  arts. 

A  road  has  been  cut  through  one  angle  of  the  b'ase 
of  the  pyramid,  and  on  each  side  a  wall  of  bricks 
shows  that  the  whole  thing  is  in  reality  artificial. 
There  is  a  considerable  vault  underneath  the  pyra- 
mid, which  is  filled  with  rubbish  and  large  cypress 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  159 

beams.  This  may  have  been  a  tomb,  and  if  it  was, 
I  have  no  disposition  to  disturb  the  "  original  pro- 
prietor." It  is  built  exactly  corresponding  to  the 
four  cardinal  points,  and  must  have  cost  an  immense 
deal  of  labor. 

I  saw  a  number  of  old  Mexicans  in  Cholula — so 
old,  indeed,  they  looked,  that  I  almost  wondered  if 
they  helped  to  build  the  cerro!  They  were  all  dried 
up,  and  the  dust  which  had  accumulated  on  their 
faces  gave  them  the  appearance  of  mummies.  It  is 
no  uncommon  thing  to  see  them  over  one  hundred 
years  old.  They  are  very  quiet  and  peaceable,  and 
seem  fitting  subjects  to  live  near  the  gray  walls  of 
the  old  pyramid,  which  their  ancestors  helped  to 
rear  years  and  years  ago. 

There  was  a  sort  of  charm  at  Cholula — a  connect- 
ing link  between  the  hoary  centuries  which  have 
passed  and  the  present.  I  lingered  near  the  hill, 
and  almost  fancied  I  could  see  the  former  inhabit- 
ants who  had  lived  and  flourished  here.  It  is  sad- 
dening to  witness  the  effects  of  time  upon  those  old 
monuments  that  connect  us  with  former  days,  as 
they  crumble  into  decay;  a  kind  of  romance  seems 
to  be  spread  around  them,  and  we  walk  amid  their 
ruins,  investing  them  with  green  old  legends:  they 
seem  more  endeared  as  their  harsh  points  are  soft- 
ened by  time,  and  subdued  by  the  mist  of  years ;  we 
imagine,  their  former  companions  —  the  gay,  the 
young,  and  the  revered — and  sigh  to  think  their 
names  and  features  have  long,  long  since  been  for- 
gotten !  The  chief  who  built  this  mighty  pyramid 
has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers,  and  his  name  and 
fame  lie  moldering  with  his  body  in  the  silent  dust. 


160  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Now  no  cry  of  anguish  bursts  from  the  lips  of  un- 
happy sufferers,  as  they  are  being  immolated  on  the 
bloody  altar,  as  in  days  gone  by;  but  in  its  place  the 
holy  chant  of  matin  and  vesper  hymns  rises  like 
incense  to  the  Throne  of  Grace.  The  temple  of 
sacrifice  is  now  used  as  a  place  of  worship  of  our 
Redeemer. 

I  could  scarcely  tear  myself  away  from  the  pyra- 
mid; the  recollections  of  my  boyhood,  when  I  had 
looked  in  my  old  geography  and  wondered  what 
such  a  thing  could  be  built  for,  all  rose  to  my  mind, 
and  I  could  not  realize  that  I  was  on  the  spot.  My 
soldiers,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  took  very  little  part  in 
my  dreams,  and  were  only  sad  to  think  the  place 
contained  nothing  worth  having.  Young  America, 
with  commendable  consistency,  spurned  the  idea  of 
anything  old,  and  I  verily  believe,  though  I  was  the 
youngest  man  there,  that  my  views  and  tastes 
savored  most  of  "  Fogyism."  I  had  a  respect  for 
the  pyramid,  and  none  of  my  comrades  had.  One 
short  story,  and  I  will  leave  Cholula. 

After  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  when  the  whole 
race  of  Indians  were  reduced  to  a  condition  of 
slavery  by  the  Spaniards,  two  young  men  of  Cholula 
formed  the  resolution  to  die  by  their  homes  and  the 
ashes  of  their  sires,  rather  than  endure  the  galling 
yoke  of  servitude.  They  were  seized  •  by  the  cruel 
Spaniards,  who  intended  to  take  them  into  the 
interior,  and  there  let  them  drag  out  a  miserable 
existence  in  the  silver  mines.  Watching  their  op- 
portunity, they  broke  away  from  their  captors,  and 
running  to  the  top  of  the  pyramid,  gave  one  wild 
cry  to  the  gods,  and  plunged  their  sharp  knives  deep 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  161 

into  their  breasts.  They  fell  dead  on  the  spot,  martyrs 
to  their  religion  and  the  memory  of  their  ancestors. 

Having  given  an  account  of  Cholula,  it  is  time  to- 
return  to  my  regiment,  which  was  forming  in  line  on 
the  road,  preparing  to  march  to  Puebla.  Taking  a 
look  at  the  old  pyramid,  with  the  firm  resolution  to 
visit  it  again  as  soon  as  I  had  leisure,  I  fell  into  the 
ranks  and  was  soon  marching  along  the  broad  open 
valley  toward  the  city.  The  valley  of  Puebla  is  from 
forty  to  fifty  miles  wide  from  east  to  west,  and  full 
two  hundred  miles  long,  running  north  and  south, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  productive  regions  in  the 
whole  republic  of  Mexico.  The  river  Nasca  rises 
above  Puebla,  in  the  country  of  the  Tlascalans,  and 
pursuing  a  southwesterly  direction  empties  into  the 
Pacific  ocean  about  sixty  miles  east  of  Acapulco.  A 
finer  climate  cannot  well  be  imagined,  and  our  sol- 
diers, after  they  had  been  allowed  time  to  recruit  their 
strength,  enjoyed,  as  a  general  thing,  good  health. 

In  the  warm  weather,  we  could  at  any  time  get  an 
iced  lemonade,  the  ice  being  brought  from  the  moun- 
tains near-by,  by  the  Indians.  The  tops  of  the  vol- 
canoes are  covered  with  snow,  summer  and  winter, 
but  there  is  never  any  snow  in  the  valleys.  One 
morning,  during  the  winter,  I  saw  ice  frozen  on  the 
top  of  the  fountain  in  the  plaza  as  thick  as  a  knife- 
blade,  which  was  the  coldest  night  we  had  in  Mex- 
ico. A  warm  sun  soon  thawed  the  ice,  and  the 
forenoon  was  oppressively  hot.  The  foliage  remained 
on  the  trees  all  winter,  and  looked  singular  enough 
to  one  who  had  been  reared  in  the  far  north.  We 
never  used  fires  in  our  rooms  except  for  cooking,  and 
still  were  not  cold.  We  could  at  any  time  procure 
U 


162  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

good  fruit  and  vegetables  in  the  plaza,  which  was 
the  great  market-place  for  the  city.  Every  day  there 
were  more  or  less  small  dealers,  crouched  down 
under  canopies  of  coarse  matting,  selling  their  pro- 
ducts ;  but  on  Thursdays  and  Sundays  the  plaza  was 
crowded  full.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  get  along 
between  the  rows  of  sellers  and  buyers,  and  such  a 
Babel  of  languages  as  were  used  was  astonishing; 
English,  Spanish,  German,  French  and  Indian,  all 
had  representatives,  with  here  and  there  a  sallow 
Portuguese.  The  plaza  was  really  a  curiosity  on  the 
great  market-days,  and  it  was  a  favorite  pastime 
with  me  to  watch  the  maneuvers  of  the  Indians  and 
Spanish,  while  they  were  trading. 

Our  column  reached  the  City  of  the  Angels  shortly 
after  noon,  on  the  21st  day  of  October,  and  we  were 
welcomed  with  joyous  shouts  by  those  who  had  been 
left  behind  to  guard  the  city.  The  whole  American 
force  in  Puebla,  sick  and  well,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  month  of  October,  1847,  amounted  to  something 
over  four  thousand.  One  thousand  of  this  number 
was  sick,  leaving  a  little  over  three  thousand  soldiers 
to  guard  the  city.  We  had  lost  seven  hundred  from 
sickness,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  had  been  killed 
and  wounded. 

Two  days  after  our  return  from  Atlixco,  I  went 
down  streel,  and  entered  a  hotel  called  the  Sociedad 
del  Progreso ;  it  was  toward  evening,  and  I  sat  down 
by  a  table  and  commenced  reading  a  newspaper. 
Directly  after  I  went  in,  an  officer  who  was  talking 
with  another  one  near  me  asked  if  I  would  do  him  a 
favor.  I  replied,  certainly,  with  pleasure,  and  he 
gave  me  a  note  to  carry  to  Lieut.  Waters.  I  imme- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  163 

diately  surmised  what  the  difficulty  was,  and  found 
that  I  was  a  second  in  a  duel  even  before  I  knew  the 
names  of  the  parties.  I  carried  the  challenge  to 
Waters,  who  was  playing  billiards  at  the  time,  and  he 
referred  me  to  Capt.  Besaneon,  who  would  act  as  his 
friend.  Besangon  was  captain  and  Waters  was  first 
lieutenant  in  the  same  company  of  Louisiana  cavalry. 
I  went  to  the  captain,  who  accepted  the  challenge, 
and  he  went  to  Waters  to  consult  as  to  weapons. 
My  principal  was  Lieut.  Brown  of  the  1st  Pennsyl- 
vania regiment,  and  we  waited  together  until  Besan- 
gon  returned.  Waters,  having  the  choice  of  weapons, 
and  being  withal  a  Creole,  chose  pointed  foils,  and 
the  first  blood  drawn  was  to  decide  the  contest.  I 
told  Brown,  who  declared  it  was  no  better  than 
murder,  and  requested  me  if  possible  to  have  pistols 
substituted.  I  talked  with  Besangon,  who  seemed 
determined  not  to  change ;  and  he  went  out  of  the 
hotel,  and  returned  with  a  pair  of  foils  ready  sharp- 
ened. By  this  time  it  was  quite  late  in  the  evening, 
and  a  number  of  officers  had  gathered  around,  and 
Captain  Lewis  tried  to  have  the  matter  adjusted,  as 
he  wyas  certain  it  would  end  in  bloodshed.  All 
his  efforts  were  unavailing,  and  we  were  just  about 
going  into  the  court-yard  to  fight  by  candle-light, 
when  Lieut.  Sears  came  in  with  orders  from  General 
Lane  to  place  all  four  of  us  under  arrest,  and  with 
further  orders  for  us  all  to  return  to  our  quarters. 
Some  person  had  told  Lane,  and  he  had  determined 
to  prevent  the  duel.  I  returned  to  the  convent,  and 
the  next  morning  Lieut.  Brown  was  sent  off  with  his 
regiment  to  Perote.  General  Lane  released  Waters, 
Besangon  and  myself,  when  we  all  met  together  and 


164  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

shook  hands.  They  were  ever  afterward  the  truest 
friends  1  had  in  the  army.  It  is  probable  that  Bes- 
angon  and  myself  would  have  been  obliged  to  fight, 
as  neither  Waters  nor  Brown  was  in  good  fighting 
condition. 

I  met  Lieut.  Brown  afterward  at  New  Orleans, 
and  there  received  his  thanks  for  assisting  him. 

On  the  6th  of  November  a  large  train  passed 
through  Puebla,  on  its  way  down  from  the  city  of 
Mexico  to  Vera  Cruz.  This  was  the  first  force 
that  reached  us  from  General  Scott,  though  dis- 
patches were  sent  down  previously  by  means  of 
couriers.  There  were  many  officers  with  it,  who 
were  returning  to  the  States ;  among  them  I  recollect 
Generals  Qtfitman  and  Shields,  Majors  Gaines  and 
Borland  and  Captain  Cassins  M.  Clay,  who  were 
taken  prisoners  by  the  Mexicans  at  Encarnacion,  and 
Passed-rnidshipmau  Rodgers,  who  was  taken  by  the 
Mexicans  at  Vera  Cruz.  There  were  a  great  many 
wounded  men  who  had  been  in  the  battles  near  the 
city  of  Mexico,  also  accompanying  the  train.  Several 
of  our  officers  who  had  been  disabled  went  down  at 
the  same  time;  Captain  Cochran  and  Lieut.  Cole, 
of  our  regiment,  were  of  this  number.  I  almost  en- 
vied them  when  I  saw  them  leave,  as  I  knew  I  would 
be  obliged  to  remain  and  toil  on  through  dangers 
and  hardships  till  the  close  of  the  war,  which  then 
seemed  very  far  distant. 

Our  brigade  was  kept  actively  engaged,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  General  Lane  never  slept ;  he  was 
active  and  vigilant,  and  required  the  soldiers  under 
his  command  to  be  the  same.  We  kept  a  small 
guard  at  the  convent,  but  the  city  guard,  numbering 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  165 

one  hundred  men,  was  mounted  every  morning  in 
the  Grand  Plaza.  This  guard  was  made  up  from  the 
4th  Ohio  and  4th  Indiana  regiments,  and  was  under 
the  direction  of  a  field  officer,  who  served  as  officer 
of  the  day.  I  frequently  commanded  the  guard  de- 
tailed from  our  regiment,  and  was  obliged  to  patrol 
the  city  all  night.  Our  men  marched  through  the 
streets  with  loaded  muskets,  in  different  directions, 
quieting  disturbances  and  hurrying  offenders  off  to 
the  city  prisons.  The  good  conduct  of  the  Mexi- 
cans and  our  own  soldiers  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
patrol  guards,  and  in  our  efforts  to  maintain  it  we 
were  assisted  by  a  very  villainous-looking  set  of 
Mexican  policemen.  These  men  rode  on  horseback, 
and  were  armed  with  swords,  escopettes  and  pistols; 
they  wore  blue  uniforms  and  black  hats,  with  the 
word  Policia  printed  on  white  cloth  in  front  of 
them.  They  hung  around  us,  and  sometimes  be- 
haved very  treacherously,  but  we  could  easily  bring 
them  to  with  a  musket.  Our  quarters  while  on  guard 
were  under  the  portals  of  the  palace,  and  stores  front- 
ing on  the  plaza.  A  few  soldiers  were  generally  sta- 
tioned up  stairs  in  front  of  the  door  to  the  general's 
quarters,  who  were  picked  out  from  among  the  rest 
on  account  of  cleanliness.  If  a  soldier  was  clean — 
no  matter  how  ragged  he  was, — he  stood  a  good 
chance  to  be  detailed  for  duty  at  the  general's  quar- 
ters ;  and  as  the  duty  there  was  light,  it  was  a  post 
much  sought  after,  and  served  to  make  the  men  emu- 
lous as  to  who  should  appear  smartest  and  cleanest. 

In  patrol  ing  the  city,  I  frequently  witnessed  heart- 
sickening  scenes,  and  tried  to  the  best  of  my  ability 
to  deal  out  even  justice  to  all.  I  was  often  appealed 


166  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

to,  to  act  as  mediator,  and  have  made  many  a  poor 
heart  glad  by  acts  of  kindness,  and  buoyed  up  the 
sinking  spirits  of  my  men  when  my  own  almost  died 
within  me. 

In  our  lonely  night-walks  through  the  city,  when 
the  keen,  cold  air  was  blowing  fresh  from  the  moun- 
tains, the  clang  of  the  clock  in  the  tower  of  the  cathe- 
dral sounded  like  the  voice  of  a  friend  cheering  me 
onward,  and  telling  that  the  gray  pencilings  of  morn- 
ing would  erelong  appear.  The  hours  between  two 
and  three,  in  cold  nights,  are  the  most  gloomy  periods 
of  the  night-guard,  and  if  a  man  is  at  all  speculative 
he  can  get  up  in  his  own  mind  spells  and  fancies, 
beside  which  the  language  of  Shakspeare  even  ap- 
pears tame. 

One  night  I  was  officer  of  the  guard,  and  was  sit- 
ting on  the  cold  stones  conversing  with  a  couple  of 
friends,  when  Dumont,  who  was  officer  of  the  day, 
came  up  and  sat  down  with  us.  He  asked  if  we  had 
heard  the  news.  We  answered  we  had  not,  when 
he  told  the  following  story:  Captain  F — ,  you  know, 
is  a  great  fellow  to  collect  snakes,  horned  frogs, 
lizards,  scorpions,  etc.;  all  of  which  he  puts  in  jars 
of  liquor  to  preserve  them.  Lieuts.  B.  and  M.  got 
hard  up  one  night,  and  seeing  no  chance  to  get  any- 
thing to  drink,  they  concluded  they  would  drink  the 
liquor  off  the  snakes,  etc.,  which  they  proceeded  to 
do.  Capt.  F — ,  seeing  his  liquor  minus  the  next 
morning,  made  inquiry  as  to  who  took  it,  and  after 
ascertaining,  said  in  his  peculiar  drawling  voice, 
"  Me —  I  don't  care  a  d — n  about  the  liquor,  but  I 
do  protest  against  your  eating  my  scorpions," — Mac 
having  taken  one  down  at  a  gulp. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Fight  at  Tlascala — Dumont's  Report  —  Lieut.-Colonel  Ebenezer 
Dumont — Lieutenant  Chapman — Horrid  Trtigedy — Volcanoes 
of  Popocatepetl  and  Iztaccihuatl  —  Ascent  of  Popocatepetl  by 
a  party  of  United  States'  Officers  —  Contra-Guerrillas  —  Old 

-  soldier  of  Napoleon  —  Fight  at  Matamoros  and  the  Pass  of 
Galajara  —  Lieut.  Ridgely  killed  —  Change  of  Quarters  —  Col. 
Jack  Hays  and  Texas  Rangers — Theaters — Singing  and  Music. 

ON  the  29th  of  October  General  Lane  made  a 
descent  upon  Tlascala,  where  there  was  said  to  be  a 
body  of  Mexican  soldiers,  and  after  a  somewhat 
protracted  search  returned  to  Puebla,  having  killed 
a  few  guerrillas,  and  taken  some  twenty  prisoners. 
Tlascala  is  an  independent  territory,  lying  to  the 
north  of  Puebla,  and  is  inhabited  by  a  race  of  bold 
and  hardy  Indians,  who  have  changed  but  very 
little  since  the  discovery  of  America.  Here  Cortez 
had  a  severe  battle  ;  and  after  conquering  the  Tlas- 
calans  they  joined  his  standard,  and  aided  very 
much  in  taking  Cholula  and  Mexico. 

After  the  tight  at  Atlixco,  no  more  was  heard  of 
General  Rea  until  the  9th  of  November,  when  Gen. 
Lane  received  information  from  the  merchants  of 
Puebla  and  Mexico,  that  he  bad  captured  a  large 
train  belonging  to  them,  near  San  Martin,  and 
taken  it  to  Tlascala,  on  the  way  to  Queretaro. 
Lane  immediately  made  preparations  to-go-out  and 

(167) 


168  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m 

recover  the  stolen  property.  On  the  night  of  No- 
vember 9th,  twenty  men  were  detailed  from  each 
company  of  our  regiment,  and  placed  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont ;  and  a  like  number  were 
detailed  from  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  under  Colonel 
Brough ;  these,  with  the  addition  of  Captain  Ben- 
jamin Koberts'  company  of  mounted  riflemen,  and 
Lewis'  company,  constituted  the  whole  American 
force. 

For  the  operations  of  our  men,  I  cannot  do  bet- 
ter than  insert  the  report  of  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont, 
which  was  sent  to  Gen.  Lane,  in  compliance  with 
the  following  order : 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  DEPT.  PUKBLA,) 
Puebla,  Nov.  15,  1847.     > 

"COLONEL  —  The  General  commanding  directs 
that  you  report  to  this  office  at  once,  fully,  your 
operations  at  Tlascala. 

"  By  order, 

"  H.  RlDGELY, 

44 1st  Lieut.  4th  Inf.  A.  A.  A.  Gen. Lane's  Div. 
"  To  LT.-COL.  DUMONT,  4th  Indiana." 

Puebla,  Mexico,  Nov.  15,  1847. 
"  BRIG.  GEN.  JOSEPH  LANE  : 

liSir — In  response  to  your  note  of  this  morning, 
I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  brief  state- 
ment of  the  operations  of  my  command  in  the  late 
expedition  against  the  forces  of  Gen.  Rea,  at  and 
near  Tlascala:  On  the  9th  instant,  you  directed  me 
to  hold  two  hundred  men  of  Col.  Gorman's  com- 
mand in  readiness  to  march  at  seven  o'clock  that 
evening.  At  the  appointed  hour  the  men  were 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  169 

ready — twenty  from  each  company — and  at  the  re- 
quest of  Col.  Gorman  I  took  command,  but  owing 
to  the  late  return  of  your  spies,  did  not  take  up  the 
line  of  march  until  about  twelve  at  night.  At  that 
time  I  put  my  command  ki  motion,  accompanied  by 
Col.  Brough,  at  the  head  of  two  hundred  Ohio  volun- 
teers, yourself  at  the  head  of  all.  "When  within  six 
miles  of  the  enemy  we  were  overtaken  at  daybreak 
by  the  cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Roberts, 
comprising,  as  I  understood,  a  hundred  men.  His 
command  proceeding  in  the  advance,  was  followed  by 
Col.  Brough  and  myself,  at  as  rapid  a  rate  as  infan- 
try could  march  ;  but  upon  our  arrival  at  the  town 
we  found  the  cavalry  had  already  entered  ;  that  the 
enemy  had  fled  in  all  directions,  and  that  the  cavalry 
had  pursued.  I  immediately  marched  my  command 
into  the  town  and  halted,  supposing  the  enemy  to 
be  beyond  the  reach  of  infantry.  I  soon  found  some 
fifty  mustang  horses,  taken  by  the  cavalry ;  and  from 
the  empty  saddles  and  deserted  mustangs,  it  was 
manifest  that  their  riders  had  fled  precipitately,  and 
were  concealed  in  the  houses  and  churches  of  the 
town,  or  caverns  of  the  mountain.  At  the  earnest 
request  of  that  number  of  my  men,  I  mounted  some 
fifty  upon  these  horses,  and  suffered  them  to  join  in 
pursuit,  while  the  residue  were  employed  about  the 
hiding-places  of  the  enemy;  thus  distributed  and 
employed,  my  men  killed  some  of  the  enemy,  cap- 
tured fifty  more  horses,  a  drove  of  their  cattle  and 
sheep,  a  large  amount  of  arms,  and  took  a  number 
of  prisoners  —  among  whom  were  Miguel  Antonio 
Romero,  chef  de  escuadron  ;  Mariano  Mescas,  cap- 
tain of  lancers;  and  Lieutenants  Jose  Maria  Na- 
15 


1TO  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

varro,  Juan  Cienfuegos,  and  Bravos  Pascual  Gomez. 
Upon  the  first-named  were  found  papers  and  docu- 
ments, clearly  proving  him  to  be  a  guerrilla,  and 
Gen.  Eea,  a  guerrilla  chief.  He  was  captured  by 
Sergeant-Major  Win.  Buchanan,  who  behaved  with 
credit,  and  afforded  me  much  assistance.  You  hav- 
ing seen  the  train,  captured  by  yourself  and  those 
under  your  immediate  command,  safely  brought 
back,  directed  Colonel  Brough  and  myself,  with  our 
commands,  to  remain  with  it  until  its  safe  arrival  at 
this  place.  Starting  at  four  o'clock,  on  the  morning 
of  the  llth,  we  arrived  safely  in  Puebla  at  two 
o'clock  at  night,  with  the  loss  of  private  Charles 
Coulter,  Co.  D,  killed ;  and  private  Wm.  C.  Crook- 
shank,  Co.  K,  missing. 

"  My  thanks  are  due  to  Captains  Lander,  Lunder- 
man,  Mason,  Fitzgibbons,  and  Payne,  their  officers 
and  men ;  and  also  to  Lieutenants  Gary,  Graham, 
Brackett,  Yeakley,  and  Mullen,  commanding  com- 
panies, their  officers  and  men,  for  their  efficient  and 
manly  discharge  of  duty.  Assistant  Surgeon  I.  M. 
Brower,  and  Assistant  Quartermaster  N.  Hamilton, 
rendered  me  all  the  assistance  in  their  power. 

"  Major  McCoy,  having  been  for  some  time  se- 
verely indisposed,  was  (though  recovering)  unable 
to  accompany  the  expedition. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be  very  respectfully, 
"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"E.    DcMONT, 

"  Lient.-Col.  4th  Ind.  Vol." 

The  4th  Ohio  regiment,  on  this  occasion,  behaved 
in  its  usual  gallant  manner,  and  took  a  number  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  171 

prisoners.  While  we  were  returning  home  to  Pue- 
bla,  Colonel  Brough  was  very  severely  injured,  and 
Lieut.-Col.  Moore  took  command  of  the  Ohioans. 
Our  General  spoke  highly  of  tine  -coolness  and  intre- 
pidity of  Captains  Roberts  and  Lewis,  their  officers 
and  men.  Among  the  prisoners  by  them  captured 
was  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  officers  and  men. 

Private  Crookshank,  of  our  regiment,  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Mexicans,  and  kept  in  close  confine- 
ment until,  by  a  fortunate  circumstance,  he  made  his 
escape.  He  was  a  very  talented  man  and  a  phy- 
sician before  he  entered  the  army.  I  always  loved 
to  hear  him  talk ;  and  his  letters,  which  were  sent  to 
the  States  and  published,  were  decidedly  the  richest 
specimens  of  literature  I  ever  saw.  He  died  at 
Napaloucan,  Mexico,  June  1st,  1848. 

A  writer,  in  speaking  of  our  infantry,  says :  — 
"  Morn  broke  upon  Tlascala,  and  saw  us  a  weary 
band  of  infantry  in  front  of  a  hostile  army,  vastly 
superior  in  numbers.  Noonday  shone  upon  us  a 
body  of  cavalry,  careering  over  mountain,  rock  and 
dell  —  our  enemies  scattered  like  chaff.  Such  are 
the  rewards  of  promptness  and  courage  !  One  bold 
stroke  will  often  secure  for  a  man  what  years  of 
toil  will  fail  to  accomplish." 

As  I  have  frequently  mentioned  Lieut.-Col.  Du- 
mont  in  these  pages,  it  is  right  that  I  should  give  a 
short  account  of  his  life.  He  was  born  at  Vevay, 
Indiana,  in  the  year  1814,  and  was  a  son  of  John 
Dumont,  a  man  of  eminence,  and  Julia  L.  Dumont, 
a  lady  of  considerable  literary  attainments.  At  an 
early  age  he  was  sent  to  Hanover  college,  and  while 


172      .         GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

there  was  appointed  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  through 
the  friendship  of  Gov.  Hendricks,  who  was  at  that 
time  in  the  U.  S.  Senate.  He  refused  to  accept  the 
appointment,  and  after  suitable  preparation  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  as  a  lawyer,  in  1836.  In  1S38 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives of  Indiana,  and  served  with  credit.  After 
this  he  held  the  office  of  county  treasurer  of  Dear- 
born county,  and  in  1847  was  made  lieutenant-colo- 
nel of  our  regiment. 

Dumont  was  one  of  the  most  moral  men  in  our 
regiment,  and  always  behaved  in  a  manly  and  cor- 
rect manner.  He  was  a  strict  drill-officer,  and  tried 
to  second  the  efforts  of  our  colonel  in  rendering  the 
regiment  efficient  in  discipline.  His  efforts  were 
always  tempered  with  kindness,  and  he  utterly  de- 
spised anything  like  tyranny.  He  had  the  good-will 
of  every  man  whose  opinion  was  worth  having,  and 
we  all  felt  proud  of  his  friendship.  Since  his  return 
from  Mexico,  he  has  served  in  the  Legislature,  and 
was  speaker  of  the  house  in  1850.  In  1852  he  was 
elected  one  of  the  democratic  presidential  electors  of 
Indiana,  and  cast  one  of  the  thirteen  votes  of  Indiana 
for  Franklin  Pierce.  He  was  elected  by  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  the  session  of  1852-3,  as  president  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Indiana,  for  five  years. 

One  night  while  on  guard,  I  happened  to  step  into 
the  Washington  House,  which  was  near  the  palace 
where  my  guard  was  stationed,  and  chanced  to  hear 
an  officer  addressed  as  Lieutenant  Chapman.  It  im- 
mediately occurred  to  me  that  this  individual  must 
be  Lieut.  Orren  Chapman  of  the  2d  dragoons,  from 
old  Otsego  county.  New  York,  which  county  I  was 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  173 

also  born  in.  I  was  introduced  to  him  by  a  friend, 
and  it  proved  to  be  that  individual,  whom  I  had 
only  known  before  by  reputation.  We  were  soon 
engaged  in  conversation,  talking  of  Cooperstown, 
Cherry  Valley,  Otsego  Lake,  etc.  It  was  a  rare 
treat  to  meet  him  and  talk  of  those  we  loved,  far 
away  in  the  empire  state.  We  spoke  of  the  ladies, 
of  course,  and,  as  I  had  been  but  about  a  year  from 
home,  Orren  inquired  about  many  of  the  divinities 
who  live  in  the  neat  borough  at  the  foot  of  the  lake. 
We  also  discussed  the  merits  of  our  celebrated  coun- 
ty man,  J.  Fennimore  Cooper,  and  spoke  of  him  in  a 
very  patronizing  way.  We  had  not  a  very  long 
time  to  talk,  as  Chapman  had  come  down  from  the 
city  of  Mexico  with  a  detachment  of  dragoons,  and 
was  obliged  to  leave  on  the  following  day.  He  re- 
ceived the  brevet  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  for  gallant 
conduct  in  the  affair  at  Medelin,  near  Yera  Cruz, 
on  the  25th  of  March,  1847,  and  gained  a  great  deal 
of  credit  for  his  bravery  at  the  battles  near  the  city 
of  Mexico.  I  parted  from  him  with  regret,  as  he 
was  the  only  man  I  saw,  that  I  knew,  from  Otsego 
county,  while  in  Mexico.  Such  little  episodes  were 
always  pleasant,  and  revived  old  and  sweet  recollec- 
tions. Sergeant-major  Gilbert  Brush,  of  the  Texan 
rangers,  was  also  a  townsman  of  mine,  but  I  did  not 
know  it  at  that  time.  He  was  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Monterey,  and  afterward  under  Lane,  at 
Sequalteplan.  His  father,  Elkineh  Brush,  was  a 
member  of  the  Texan  Congress,  and  was  a  fine  man. 
He  visited  my  father's  house  at  Rock  Island,  in  the 
spring  of  1852,  and  was  with  father  when  he  died. 
About  the  middle  of  November,  five  companies 


174  GEN.   LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

of  Texan  rangers,  under  command  of  Colonel  Jack 
Hays,  arrived  in  Puebla.  They  belonged  to  onr 
brigade,  though  before  joining  it  they  went  up  to 
the  city  of  Mexico  and  reported  to  Gen.  Scott.  They 
were  certainly  an  odd-looking  set  of  fellows,  and  it 
seemed  to  be  their  aim  to  dress  as  outlandishly  as 
possible.  Bob-tailed  coats  and  "  long-tailed  blues," 
low  and  high-crowned  hats,  some  slouched  and  others 
Panama,  with  a  sprinkling  of  black  leather  caps, 
constituted  their  uniforms;  and  a  thorough  coating 
of  dust  over  all,  and  covering  their  huge  beards, 
gave  them  a  savage  appearance.  Their  horses 
ranged  from  little  mustangs  to  large  American  full- 
bloods,  and  were  of  every  shade  and  color.  Each 
ina.n  carried  a  rifle,  a  pair  of  pistols,  and  one  or  two 
of  Colt's  revolvers,  or  "  five-shooters."  A  hundred 
of  them  could  discharge  a  thousand  shots  in  two 
minutes,  and  with  what  precision  the  Mexicans  alone 
can  tell.  I  watched  them  closely  as  they  passed 
silently  by  me,  and  could  distinguish  no  dift'erence 
between  the  officers  and  men.  They  carried  no 
sabers. 

Onr  brigade  was  now  complete,  and  consisted  of 

•five  companies  of  Texan  rangers,  Lewis'  company  of 

Louisiana  cavalry,  the  4th  Ohio  and  4th  Indiana 

volunteers.     The  Texaus  went  on  to  Mexico,  but  re- 

*        ' 

turned  to  Puebla  a  few  days  afterward. 

Quiet  reigned  in  Puebla  for  some  time  after  our 
last  expedition  to  Tlascala,  and  our  wounded  and 
sick  men  had  time  to  recover  their  health  and 
strength.  General  Lane  had  command  of  the  troops 
in  the  city,  and  Colonel  Childs  was  civil  and  mili- 
tary governor  of  the  department.  We  had  to  keep 


CENTRAL  MEXICO  ,175 

a  strict  guard,  and  frequently  met  with  sights  of  the 
most  revolting  character.  I  must  tell  one  story  of  a 
sight  I  saw  in  Puebla,  which  I  assure  the  reader  is 
true  in  every  particular.  I  was  walking  down  to- 
ward the  plaza  from  my  quarters,  one  Sunday  after- 
noon, with  Captain  Fravel,  when  we  met  a  number 
of  Mexicans,  standing  apparently  horror-stricken, 
near  the  corner  of  a  street,  in  front  of  a  fine-looking 
house.  The  Mexicans  asked  us  to  walk  in  ;  we  did 
so,  and  upon  ascending  to  the  second  story  and  en- 
tering a  room  in  which  some  long  candles  were 
burning,  a  horrid  sight  met  our  eyes.  Lying  on  the 
floor  was  the  dead  body  of  an  old  gray -haired  woman, 
weltering  in  her  own  blood,  with  her  throat  cut  from 
ear  to  ear.  A  large  bludgeon  was  near  her.  On  a 
bed  in  one  corner  lay  the  body  of  a  beautiful  little 
girl  between  two  and  three  years  old,  with  her  head 
nearly  cut  off.  We  inquired  the  cause  of  the  mur- 
der, and  learned  the  following  facts.  It  appears  that 
the  little  girl  was  an  heiress,  her  parents  both  being 
dead,  and  had  over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
left  to  her,  which  at  her  death  was  to  be  given  to  the 
Cathedral  of  Puebla.  Some  dastard  priest,  not  being 
willing  to  wait  for  the  child  to  die  a  natural  death, 
so  that  the  cathedral  could  get  the  money,  came  in 
on  Sunday  and  murdered  her  and  her  duenna.  There 
they  lay,  cold  and  rigid  in  death,  and  the  priest 
never  was,  to  my  knowledge,  punished.  Sights  like 
this  frequently  met  us ;  and,  what  is  singular,  we 
thought  but  little  about  them  an  hour  afterward. 
Doubtless  there  are  many  of  our  brigade  who  will 
recollect  the  scene  above  describe^. 

the  12th  of  October,  1847,  until  the  1st  day 


176  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

of  April,  1848,  a  period  of  over  five  months  and  a  half, 
I  was  continually  in  sight  of  the  volcanoes  of  Popo- 
catepetl, "  the  mountain  that  smokes,"  and  Iztacci- 
huatl,  "  the  white  woman."  Of  course  I  felt  an  in- 
terest in  them,  and  though  I  never  attempted  the 
foolish  and  tedious  exploit  of  climbing  to  their  sum- 
mits, I  had  accounts  from  others,  who  had  attained 
that  celebrity,  of  the  appearance  of  the  crater  and 
the  mountain  sides.  Popocatepetl  is  far  the  largest, 
and  its  neighbor  looks  as  though  its  summit  had 
been  torn  off  by  some  violent  eruption.  The  highest 
mountain  is  eighteen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea 
level.  Cortez,  upon  first  entering  the  country,  found 
the  volcano  of  Popocatepetl  in  a  state  of  active  oper- 
ation, and  the  lurid  glare  of  the  red  light  lit  up  the 
snows  of  Iztaccihuatl,  and  impressed  upon  the  Span- 
iards and  superstitious  Indians  a  feeling  that  the 
Aztec  power  would  soon  be  extinguished  in  Mexico. 
In  writing  to  Charles  V.,  Emperor,  Cortez  says: 

"  Eight  leagues  from  Cholula  are  met  two  chains 
of  very  lofty  mountains,  which  are  the  more  remark- 
able, as  their  summits  are  covered  with  snow  in  the 
month  of  August,  and  as  there  issue  from  one  of 
them,  many  times  during  the  day  and  night,  very 
considerable  volumes  of  fire,  the  smoke  of  which  rises 
to  the  clouds  with  so  great  a  force  that  that  of  the 
winds,  however  great  it  may  be  in  that  elevated  re- 
gion, cannot  change  its  vertical  direction.  In  order 
to  give  your  majesty  the  most  particular  account  of 
the  singular  objects  of  this  country,  I  chose  ten  of 
my  companions,  such  as  were  fitted  for  a  discovery 
of  this  nature ;  I  caused  them  to  be  accompanied  by 
some  Indians  of  the  country,  who  served  them  as 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  177 

guides ;  and  I  directed  them  to  use  all  their  efforts  to 
reach  the  summit  of  the  mountain  chain,  and  ascer- 
tain whence  the  smoke  proceeded :  but  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  reach  it,  on  account  of  the  abundance 
of  the  snows,  of  the  whirlwinds  of  ashes  with  which 
it  is  constantly  surrounded,  and  of  the  excessive  cold 
that  is  felt  there.  They  approached  the  summit  as 
closely  as  was  practicable  for  them ;  and  while  at  the 
most  elevated  point  to  which  they  had  been  able  to 
ascend,  the  smoke  issued  with  so  much  noise  and 
impetuosity  that  the  mountain  appeared  to  be  crum- 
bling away.  They  brought  back  from  their  journey 
only  some  snow  and  ice — objects  sufficiently  curious 
in  a  country  situated  under  the  twentieth  degree  of 
latitude,  and  where  there  is  so  considerable  a  degree 
of  heat." — Corr.  of  Cortez,  1st  Letter. 

After  the  fall  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  Cortez  again 
wrote  to  the  emperor,  as  follows : — 

"  I  decided  in  our  first  moments  of  repose  to  ac- 
quire a  more  particular  knowledge  of  the  volcano  of 
which  I  have  spoken  in  my  first  letter,  and  from 
which  there  continually  arose,  in  a  vertical  line,  a 
thick  smoke.  The  vulgar  regarded  this  mountain  as 
very  dangerous;  tradition  announced  that  all  who 
ascended  it  died  from  the  effects.  I  sent  a  few 
Spaniards  there  to  examine  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain ;  but  as  they  were  ascending  it  there  arose  so 
thick  a  smoke  that  they  could  not  and  dared  not 
advance  to  the  place  from  which  it  ascended.  I  have 
caused  others  to  ascend  it  since,  who  have  clam- 
bered up  twice,  and  advanced  to  the  pit  from  which 
the  smoke  issues.  The  diameter  of  the  pit  appeared 
equal  to  double  the  range  of  a  cross-bow,  and  the 


178  GEN.  LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

circumference  about  three-quarters  of  a  league  ;  its 
depth  is  incommensurable  to  the  sight,  and  they 
found  around  the  pit  some  sulphur,  which  the  smoke 
deposits  there.  At  one  time  they  were  very  near  it, 
when  they  heard  so  frightful  a  noise  accompanying 
the  elevation  of  the  smoke,  that  they  descended  in 
all  haste.  They  were  not  half-way  down  the  moun- 
tain when  they  found  themselves  in  great  peril,  on 
account  of  the  quantity  of  stones  which  were  rolling 
down,  and  which  the  volcano  was  ejecting.  The 
Indians  were  stupefied  at  the  audacity  of  the  Span- 
iards, and  with  the  surprising  act  of  bravery  which 
induced  them  to  approach  so  near  the  volcano." — 
Corr.  of  Cortez,  2d  Letter. 

A  party  of  U.  S.  officers  ascended  Popocatepetl, 
in  the  month  of  April,  1848,  which  was  composed 
of  Captains  Bomford  and  Fowler,  and  Lieutenants 
Stone,  Buckner,  Anderson  and  Kirkham.  One  of  the 
number  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  ascent  of 
the  mountain,  which  was  published  in  Putnam's 
Monthly,  in  April,  1853.  The  party  set  out  from  the 
city  of  Mexico  on  the  3d  day  of  April,  1848,  and  on 
the  llth  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit.  I  shall 
give  an  extract  from  the  description  of  the  last  day's 
journey  of  this  party.  The  writer  says  : — 

"  Supporting  ourselves  on  the  snow  by  means  of 
our  pointed  poles,  and  assisting  our  footing  in  other 
places  by  the  sharp  stones,  which  were  frozen  in  the 
sand  and  protruded  themselves  above  its  surface, 
we  continued  to  ascend  gradually,  but  constantly, 
toward  the  vertex  of  the  two  ridges  which  have  been 
alluded  to.  As  the  lines  which  bounded  the  irregu- 
lar inclined  plain  we  were  ascending  converged  to  a 


CENTRAL   MEXICO.  179 

point,  the  inclination  became  greater,  and  the  in- 
creasing rarefaction  of  the  atmosphere  added  much 
to  our  difficulty  and  fatigue. 

*'  Before  reaching  the  upper  termination  of  this 
plain,  the  distant  mountain-chains  and  deep  valleys 
were  indistinctly  visible  in  the  west,  clothed  in  the 
illusive  charms  of  the  early  dawn.  But  it  was  when 
we  were  clambering  up  the  steep  acclivity  which 
terminates  this  valley,  a  little  below  the  Pico  del 
Fraile,  that  the  full  glow  of  morning  burst  upon  our 
view  in  its  brightest  effulgence.  The  sun,  as  it  rose 
unclouded  in  the  east,  lighted  up  in  all  the  splendor 
of  a  morning  in  spring,  the  varying  scenes  which 
were  spread  around  us.  Nothing  could  be  more  beau- 
tiful or  impressive  than  the  changing  tints  which 
came  successively  over  the  brightening  landscape, 
as  the  lofty  mountain  cast  its  conical  shadow  across 
the  valley,  and  on  the  distant  hills,  and  on  the 
clouds  which  curled  around  them,  and,  for  a  long 
time,  obscured  the  country  and  villages  at  its  base 
in  the  uncertain  gloom  of  early  morning,  while  all 
beyond  the  clearly  defined  line  of  shadow  was  glis- 
tening in  the  bright  beams  of  the  snn. 

"  Passing  over  the  rugged  termination  of  the  val- 
ley along  which  we  had  ascended,  the  Pico  del 
Fraile,  a  porphyritic  mass  shooting  up  like  a  needle 
to  the  height  of  perhaps  eighty  feet,  was  in  plain 
view  and  but  a  short  distance  above  us.  "We  reached 
this  singular  rock  about  twenty  minutes  past  seven 
o'clock,  A.  M.  It  is  situated  about  fifteen  hundred 
feet,  in  vertical  height,  from  the  peak  of  the  moun- 
tain, on  a  bold  and  rocky  ridge,  once,  apparently,  a 
stream  of  lava,  and  which  extends  in  a  southwestern 


180  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

direction  from  the  summit,  and  divides  into  the  two 
ridges  between  which  we  had  ascended.  On  a  clear 
morning  this  remarkable  feature  may  be  distinctly 
seen  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  on  the  western  profile 
of  the  mountain.  My  attention,  upon  reaching  this 
point,  was  directed  by  one  of  the  party  to  the  ap- 
pearance, at  short  intervals,  of  light  clouds  of  smoke 
which  were  rising  above  the  snow,  considerably  to 
the  right  of  the  summit.  This  served  to  indicate  the 
position  of  the  crater,  and  sufficiently  explained  the 
cause  of  the  strong  sulphurous  odor  we  had  encoun- 
tered far  down  the  mountain. 

"  On  the  southeastern  side  of  the  ridge  on  which 
the  Pico  del  Fraile  is  situated,  extending  from  near 
the  crater  to  the  forests  about  the  waist  of  the  moun- 
tain, is  a  deep  valley  whose  bottom  is  covered  with 
sand  and  ice.  In  order  to  reach  the  point  indicated 
by  the  smoke,  it  was  first  necessary,  on  account  of 
the  many  precipices  which  break  in  upon  the  unity 
of  the  ridge,  to  descend  into  this  valley,  which  forms 
a  practicable  way  through  the  rocky  barriers.  Hav- 
ing passed  around  the  southern  side  of  the  base  of 
the  Pico  del  Fraile,  we  continued,  for  some  time,  to 
move  in  a  horizontal  direction,  along  the  steep  slope 
of  the  ridge  which  forms  the  western  limit  of  the 
valley  in  question,  until,  having  reached  the  bottom, 
we  resumed  the  painful  ascent  toward  the  crater. 
The  extreme  rarefaction  of  the  atmosphere,  added  to 
the  increasing  difficulties  of  the  ascent,  imposed  a 
heavy  tax  upon  all  our  energies.  The  efibrt  was  diffi- 
cult and  laborious  in  the  extreme  to  pass  in  safety 
over  the  smooth  fields  of  ice,  and  among  the  wild 
crags  which  obstructed  our  path;  and  it  required 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  181 

much  caution  to  avoid  a  false  step,  which  might 
have  precipitated  us  far  into  the  valley  below. 
About  six  hundred  or  eight  hundred  feet  above  the 
Pico,  we  clambered  up  a  steep  natural  wall  of  rocks 
which  was  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  and  entered  at 
once  upon  an  extensive  glacier,  which  filled  an  in- 
dentation in  the  conical  part  of  the  mountain,  and 
extended  almost  to  the  summit.  The  passage  of  thia 
glacier  was  by  far  the  most  fatiguing  portion  of  the 
ascent.  The  surface  of  the  snow,  which  had  now 
become  very  deep,  was  so  much  softened  by  the 
warmth  of  the  sun  as  to  be  incapable  of  sustaining 
our  weight,  as  we  moved  over  the  glacier  to  a  soli- 
t&ry  rock,  which,  with  the  occasional  puffs  of  smoke, 
directed  us  to  the  edge  of  the  crater.  The  air,  too, 
had  become  so  much  rarefied  at  this  immense  eleva- 
tion, as  scarcely  to  afford  enough  oxygen  to  sustain 
life.  The  slightest  exertion  was  attended  with  great 
fatigue.  We  found  it  necessary,  as  we  advanced, 
forcing  our  way  through  the  snow  which  covered 
the  ice  to  the  depth  of  more  than  three  feet,  to  pause 
for  a  few  moments,  after  having  taken  three  or  four 
steps,  to  recover  from  our  exhaustion.  A  sensation 
of  dizziness,  attended  with  a  great  oppression  about 
the  head,  gradually  came  over  us  as  we  ascended; 
and  we  were  much  incommoded  by  inhaling  the 
noxious  gases  which  were  ejected  from  the  crater 
and  dissipated  in  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 

"At  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  advance  of  the  party 
reached  the  edge  of  the  crater.  The  contrast  pre- 
sented by  the  bright  glare  of  the  snow  which  had  so 
dazzled  our  sight  during  the  ascent,  and  the  dark 
abyss  which,  upon  climbing  the  last  few  feet,  yawned 


182  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

suddenly  before  us,  was  striking  in  the  highest  de- 
gree. In  the  clear  atmosphere  of  these  elevated 
regions,  it  is  difficult  to  form,  by  the  eye  alone,  an 
accurate  estimate  of  the  distances  and  apparent 
dimensions  of  objects  which  are  at  all  remote  from 
us.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  impressions 
made  on  the  minds  of  the  different  individuals  com- 
posing the  party,  should  in  some  respects  diifer. 
For  this  reason,  I  will  give  only  my  own  opinion 
of  the  dimensions  of  the  crater — remarking  that  my 
estimates  are  as  small  as  any  which  were  made  by 
the  rest  of  th^e  party. 

"  The  crater  seems  to  be  formed  of  three  cylin- 
drical surfaces,  of  about  the  same  height  but  slightly 
unequal  diameters,  having  a  common  vertical  axis. 
The  lower  section  of  each  cylinder  is  connected  with 
the  upper  section  of  the  one  below  it  by  an  irregular 
conical  surface ;  while  the  debris  of  the  broken  masses 
of  rocks,  falling  from  the  sides  and  top  of  the  crater, 
have  formed  a  similar  surface  connecting  the  lower 
cylinder  with  the  bottom — so  that  the  general  form 
of  the  crater  is  that  of  an  inverted  frustum  of  a  cone 
whose  vertex  is  very  distant  from  its  base.  The  right 
section  of  either  of  the  cylinders  would  not  materially 
differ  from  a  circle.  The  lip  of  the  crater,  following 
the  declivity  of  the  mountain,  and  being  therefore  an 
oblique  section  of  the  upper  cylinder,  is  an  irregular 
elliptical  figure,  whose  longest  diameter  is  in  the 
direction  of  a  vertical  section  through  the  summit  of 
the  mountain.  This  diameter,  I  think,  does  not  ex- 
ceed the  third  of  an  English  mile  in  length.  The 
depth  of  the  crater  varies  from  perhaps  four  or  five 
hundred  to  six  or  eight  hundred  feet — the  difference 


CENTKAL  MEXICO.  183 

of  depth  in  different  places  being  caused  by  the  slope 
of  the  mountain.  The  center  of  the  crater  is  nearly 
southeast  of  the  summit,  which  is  so  slightly  re- 
moved from  the  highest  part  of  the  circumference 
that  it  may  be  regarded  as  forming  one  point  of  the 
lip.  At  the  time  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  crater, 
the  smoke  was  issuing  in  a  constant  stream  from  a 
crevice  near  the  eastern  side  of  the  bottom,  nearly 
opposite  the  point  where  we  stood,  as  well  as  occa- 
sionally from  other  parts  of  the  interior.  Consider- 
able quantities  of  sublimated  sulphur  had  been 
deposited  on  the  bottom  and  interior  conical  sur- 
faces; and  the  quantity  of  Rulphureted  hydrogen 
gas  evolved  from  the  crater  was  highly  offensive  and 
injurious.  Following  along  the  lip  of  the  crater,  the 
first  of  the  party  succeeded  in  attaining  the  summit 
of  the  volcano,  the  highest  point  of  land,  with  per- 
haps a  single  exception,  in  North  America,  at  ten 
minutes  past  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.  At  twenty  minutes 
past  ten  o'clock,  having  attached  a  small  flag  to  one 
of  the  poles  which  had  been  used  in  making  the 
ascent,  we  took  formal  possession  of  the  subjacent 
country,  and  planted  the  "stars  and  stripes"  lirmly 
on  the  highest  peak  of  the  Popocatepetl,  overlooking 
the  dark  crater  which  was  smoking  below. 

"  The  view  from  this  point  is  unsurpassed  in  ex- 
tent and  magnificence.  The  eye  looked,  in  every 
direction,  far  as  human  vision  can  extend,  over 
almost  boundless  tracts  of  diversified  and  enchant- 
ing prospect.  To  the  north,  and  below  us,  was  the 
white  summit  of  Iztaccihuatl,  partially  vailed  by  the 
clouds  which  were  floating  around  it.  Beyond  it, 
and  to  the  left,  reposed  the  magnificent  capital  of  the 


184  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Aztecs,  amidst  the  beautiful  plains  and  placid  lakes 
of  the  valley,  shut  in,  as  if  by  enchantment,  by  a 
chain  of  lofty  mountains  which  concealed  its  beau- 
ties from  the  surrounding  world.  To  the  south  ex- 
tended the  fertile  valleys  of  Atlixco  and  Cuernavaca, 
and  the  distant  plains  of  Oaxaca,  inclosed  between 
mountain  chains,  which  appeared  one  be}rond  an- 
other, until  lost  in  the  rising  mists  of  the  tiei^ra  cal- 
iente.  In  the  west  shone  the  snowy  top  of  the 
Nevado  de  Toluca ;  and  farther  to  the  north  were  the 
more  distant  plains  of  Morelia  or  Michoacan.  To  the 
east  lay  the  city  and  valley  of  Puebla,  the  famed 
Pyramid  of  Cholula,  amidst  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
city,  and,  at  the  base  of  the  Malinche,  the  mountain 
country  of  the  warlike  Tlascalans.  So  transparent 
was  the  atmosphere,  that  we  could  distinctly  trace 
the  national  road,  as  it  wound  across  the  plains, 
until  it  was  lost  in  the  garita  of  Puebla.  Farther 
off  still,  were  the  more  elevated  table  land  of  Perote 
and  the  remarkable  '  Cofre'  above  them ;  while,  but 
a  short  distance  from  the  sea-shore  rose  the  hoary 
head  of  Orizava,  glittering  iu  the  bright  beams  of 
the  morning  light." 

These  two  volcanoes  lie  to  the  west  of  Puebla,  and 
seem  much  nearer  than  they  really  are.  The  moun- 
tain of  La  Malinche  is  situated  on  the  north  of  the 
city,  and  at  the  head  of  the  valley  of  Puebla,  which 
reaches  down  through  the  states  of  Puebla  and 
Guerrero  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

The  Texan  rangers  came  back  to  Puebla  again 
about  the  20th  of  November,  and  it  was  evident 
that  General  Lane  would  soon  be  again  upon  the 
track  of  the  guerrillas.  Old  Jo  said  nothing  but 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  185 

kept  up,  as  the  boys  said,  "  a  hell  of  a  thinking." 
There  was  no  doubt,  blood  in  his  eye,  and  when  he 
had  anything  serious  on  his  mind  he  said  but  little 
and  rather  avoided  entering  into  conversation. 
Walker's  company  had  been  all  cut  to  pieces  at 
Huaraantla,  and  sergeants  Sloan  and  Harris  were 
sent  home  to  recruit  it;  Harris  had  a  brother  in  our 
company,  B.  C.  Harris,  who  was  also  a  sergeant. 
The  place  of  Walker's  men  was  supplied  by  another 
company  of  the  mounted  rifle  regiment,  under  Cap- 
tain Benjamin  S.  Roberts,  lettered  A,  which  had 
served  bravely  at  Cerro  Gordo  and  Chapultepec. 

Our  men  were  supplied  with  new  clothing,  the 
Rio  Grande  suit  having  by  constant  exposure  be- 
come riddled  into  fragments,  and  on  parade  we  look- 
ed as  good  as  new.  Our  regiment  had  by  this  time 
learned  to  drill  ?00//vand  the  Ohioans  under  Brough 
were  almost  perfection  in  the  manual  exercise  and 
battalion  movements.  Lewis'  company  also  looked 
well  on  parade,  and  when  our  brigade  was  all  out 
drilling  we  felt  no  diffidence  about  appearing  before 
any  one.  Our  companies  were  drilled  separately 
in  the  plaza  every  morning,  and  at  four  o'clock 
every  afternoon,  we  marched  down  from  the  quarters 
to  the  plaza  in  solid  column,  and  had  dress-parade. 
Our  bayonets  were  always  kept  fixed,  except  when 
drilling  as  light  infantry. 

Col.  Gorman  was  expert  in  the  light  infantry  or 
rifle  exercise,  and  often  drilled  us  as  riflemen.  As  a 
.battalion  of  skirmishers  we  were  as  well  informed 
as  any  body  of  men  in  the  service,  and  acquitted 
ourselves  creditably.  In  speaking  thus  of  our  regi- 
16 


186  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

raent,  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  accused  of  bragging,  as 
I  speak  of  others,  not  of  myself. 

I  have  forgotten  to  mention  in  its  proper  order, 
that,  a  day  or  two  after  the  fight  at  Atlixco,  Lieu- 
tenant Sears,  2d  artillery,  started  from  Puebla  as 
bearer  of  dispatches  from  Gen.  Lane  to  the  United 
States'  Government.  He  had  as  his  escort  a  Mexi- 
can spy-company  of  contra-guerrillas  in  our  ser- 
vice, under  command  of  Col.  Dominguez,  and  was 
attacked,  a  short  distance  from  the  city,  by  a  large 
Mexican  force  under  General  Torrijon.  Having 
beaten  them  off,  he  again  proceeded  on  his  way  to 
Vera  Cruz,  and  was  again  attacked  by  another 
Mexican  force  under  Colonel  Vamos,  and  was 
obliged  to  return  toward  Puebla,  having  lost  fifteen 
killed  and  wounded  in  the  two  fights.  He  met  Col. 
"Wynkoop  with  his  regiment,  which  was  on  its  way 
down  to  Perote,  and  was  safely  escorted  by  it  as  far 
as  Plan  del  Rio,  after  which  Sears  reached  Yera 
Cruz  in  safety. 

Lieutenant  Sears  had  been  General  Lane's  adju- 
tant-general, and  after  his  departure  Lieutenant 
Henderson  Ridgely  of  the  4th  infantry,  was  appoint- 
ed acting-assistant  adjutant-general  in  his  place. 

The  contra-guerrillas  under  Dominguez  were  a 
rascally  set  of  fellows,  and  I  never  could  look  upon 
them  with  any  degree  of  sympathy.  Traitors  to 
their  own  country  in  the  darkest  hour  of  stern  trial, 
they  aided  the  Americans  against  their  own  country- 
men, and  covered  themselves  with  lasting  infamy. 
There  is  an  old  saying  "we  love  the  treason  but 
despise  the  traitor,"  which  did  not  hold  good  with  us. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  187 

"We  loathed  the  treason  and  cursed  the  traitor.  Every 
man  in  the  company  was  a  "jail  bird,"  and  a  worse 
body  of  men  could  not  have  been  collected  together. 

I  once  rode  from  the  National  Bridge  to  En  Cerro 
with  a  squadron  of  these  chaps,  and  was  the  only 
American  with  them.  I  had  been  carrying  an  order 
down  from  En  Cerro  to  the  Bridge,  and  was  on  my 
return.  They  rode  along  singing  ribald  songs, 
discharging  their  escopettes  every  few  minutes, 
and  behaving  in  the  most  unsoldier-like  manner. 
They  had  a  few  women  along  with  them  who  seemed 
to  be  as  thoroughly  steeped  in  vice  as  the  men. 
Each  man  carried  a  lance  and  wore  a  wide  red  band 
around  his  hat.  Mexican  treachery  is  proverbial, 
and  these  contra-guerrillas  were  a  complete  embodi- 
ment of  it.  On  first  seeing  them,  I  thought  very 
much,  as  one  of  our  Irish  soldiers  did,  "may  the 
devil  fly  away  wid'em  for  a  set  of  ragamuffins." 

It  was  originally  the  intention  of  Government  to 
arm  our  company  with  rifles,  but  from  some  cause 
or  other,  we  never  received  them.  Our  men  were 
mostly  young  and  sprightly  fellows,  ranging  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-four  years  of  age,  though  there 
were  some  middle-aged  men  with  us.  In  the  Ohio 
regiment  there  were  a  great  many  Germans  who 
made  fine  soldiers,  and  prided  themselves  much 
upon  their  military  bearing.  One  old  captain  in 
chat  regiment,  named  John  Fries,  who  commanded 
company  K,  always  attracted  attention  by  his  fine 
appearance,  his  age,  and  his  previous  military 
history.  He  was  a  Bavarian  by  birth,  and  when 
he  entered  our  army  was  sixty-four  years  of  age. 
The  old  man  had  served  as  a  non-commissioned 


188  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

officer  in  the  Young  Guard  under  Napoleon,  and  was 
in  the  Russian  campaign,  and  afterward  at  the 
bloody  battle  of  Waterloo.  Frequently,  on  our  long 
and  tedious  inarch,  Lieut.-Col.  Moore  would  ask  the 
old  man  to  get  into  a  baggage-wagon  and  ride. 
"No,"  he  would  reply,  at  the  same  time  giving  his 
thigh  a  slap,  "  these  legs  have  waded  through  the 
snows  of  Russia,  and  did  not  come  here  to  be  over- 
powered in  Mexico."  Such  was  the  spirit  of  our 
men  !  and  this  alone  conquered  Mexico. 

When  General  Scott  came  down  to  Puebla  he  was 
introduced  to  Captain  Fries.  Immediately  upon  see- 
ing the  heavy  gray  moustache  which  adorned  his 
upper  lip,  and  reminded  one  of  the  "  Old  Guard," 
Scott  remarked,  taking  his  hand,  "  If  I  am  not  mis- 
taken, this  man  has  served  with  Napoleon."  "I 
did,"  said  Fries,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  tear 
started  in  his  eye  at  the  recollection  of  le  petite  cor- 
poral. A  conversation  was  then  carried  on  in 
French  between  them,  Scott  speaking  no  German, 
and  Fries  speaking  very  broken  English.  The 
soldier  of  Napoleon  found  a  true  friend  in  the  great 
American  commander,  and  all  who  witnessed  the 
interview  stood  by  in  silence. 

As  was  anticipated,  Gen.  Lane  again  set  out  on 
the  22d  of  November,  to  meet  the  Mexicans,  whom 
he  had  learned  were  assembled  at  Matamoros  in  the 
State  of  Puebla.  Their  numbers  were  considerable 
and  they  still  continued  to  infest  the  neighborhood 
where  we  were  stationed,  frequently  killing  our 
soldiers  as  they  were  walking  in  the  streets.  On 
the  evening  of  the  day  above-mentioned,  Lane  set 
out,  taking  with  him  a  portion  of  the  Texan  rangers 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  189 

under  Col.  Jack  Hays,  Captain  Koberts'  company 
of  mounted  riflemen,  Lewis'  company  of  Louisiana 
cavalry,  and  one  piece  of  cannon  under  Lieut.  H. 
B.  Field — in  all  one  uundred  and  sixty  men.     This 
force  was  all  well  mounted,  and  though  I  did  not 
accompany  the  expedition,  am  enabled  to  give  an 
account  of  the  actions  which  occurred  from  infor- 
mation received  from  others.     Kain  fell  during  the 
night,  which  somewhat  retarded  the  advance  of  our 
men,  though  by  morning  they  had  accomplished  the 
entire  distance,  fifty -four  miles,  and  were  in  front  of 
the  enemy.     A  sudden  and  rapid  charge  was  made 
into  the  town,  and  as  usual  Lane  carried  everything 
before  him,  sweeping  the  streets,  killing  and  wound- 
ing sixty  or  eighty  of  the  enemy,  and  capturing  three 
pieces  of  artillery — a  small  one,  a  long  six,  and  a 
long  twelve-pounder — all   of  bronze,  and  in  good 
firing  condition.     Col.  Piedras,  commanding  at  Ma- 
tamoros,  was   killed,  beside  two  captains  of  artil- 
lery and  several  other  officers.    Twenty -one  American 
soldiers  who  had  been  prisoners  to  the  Mexicans,  were 
set  free  and  restored  to  the  service,  armed  with  mus- 
kets and  mounted  on  horses  taken  from  the  enemy. 
Beside  the   artillery,  there  was   a  large  amount 
of  military  stores  captured,  including  five  hundred 
muskets,  five  hundred  sabres,  one  hundred  horses, 
twelve  tons  of  shot,  twelve  boxes  of  fixed  ammuni- 
tion, twenty-seven  bales  of  escopet  and  musket-balls, 
and  seven  bales  of  slow  and  quick  matches.     The 
General  ordered  them  all  destroyed  except  the  horses, 
muskets,  sabres,  and  fixed  ammunition,  in   conse- 
quence of  his  inability  to  procure  wagons.     In  this 


190  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

engagement  every  man  behaved  well,  and  received 
the  thanks  of  the  commanding  officer. 

"•Early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,"  eays  Lane 
in  his  official  report,  "  we  moved  toward  Puebla,  a 
part  of  Captain  Roberts'  company  of  rifles  composing 
the  advanced  guard,  while  a  few  were  in  rear  of  the 
artillery;  the  Louisiana  cavalry  under  Capt.  Lcwis^ 
constituting  the  rear-guard.  While  moving  with 
difficulty  through  a  long  mountainous  pass,  called 
the  Pass  of  Galaxara,  some  five  miles  from  Mata- 
moros,  the  train  became  considerably  extended.  Re- 
tarded by  the  obstructions  of  the  way,  the  artillery 
and  a  small  train  of  four  wagons,  containing  cap- 
tured property  drawn  by  Mexican  mules,  and 
driven  by  Mexicans,  had  fallen  far  in  the  rear, 
and  were  progressing  slowly  under  my  immediate 
superintendence,  when  it  was  reported  that  the 
enemy  had  appeared  in  front.  Colonel  Hays  waa 
immediately  ordered  to  repair  to  the  head  of  the 
column,  and  to  engage  the  enemy  with  the  advance 
guard.  He  found  a  small  party  of  observation  run- 
ning in  under  the  pursuit  of  two  hundred  Mexican 
lancers.  He  promptly  repulsed  them,  and  with 
Captain  Roberts  and  company,  and  Lieutenants 
Ridgely,  Whipple,  Waters,  McDonald  and  Blake, 
and  my  private  secretary  Mr.  Phelps,  numbering  in 
all  about  thirty-five  men,  gallantly  charged,  broke, 
and  pursued  the  enemy  across  an  extended  plain, 
and  up  a  long  precipitous  ascent  toward  the  moun- 
tains from  which  they  had  made  the  attack.  Mid- 
way of  the  hill  the  'enemy  halted,  and  attempted  to 
rally.  They  wheeled  to  the  front,  but  falling  rapidly 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  191 

before  the  continued  charge,  they  again  broke,  and 
fled  over  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  closely  fol- 
lowed by  Col.  Hays,  with  his  small  force.  Here  the 
enemy  was  reinforced  by  a  reserve  of  five  hundred 
lancers,  under  command  of  General  Rea.  The 
Texans,  not  being  armed  with  sabers,  and  their 
revolvers  and  rifles  having  all  been  discharged, 
Hays  ordered  his  small  force  to  retire  to  their  original 
position.  This  order  was  coolly  obeyed,  and  the  men 
retired  in  good  order,  under  the  full  charge  of  four 
or  five  hundred  lancers.  Having  returned  to  their 
position,  the  enemy  were  immediately  repulsed,  and 
the  post  maintained  until  the  arrival  of  the  artillery, 
under  Lieut.  Fields,  and  of  the  cavalry  under  Capt. 
Lewis,  whom  I  had  ordered  to  the  front  immediately 
on  perceiving  the  strength  of  the  enemy.  It  is  due 
to  these  excellent  officers  to  remark,  that  they  moved 
forward  to  the  engagement  with  that  promptitude 
and  alacrity  for  which  they  have  ever  been  distin- 
guished. The  artillery  was  immediately  unlimbered, 
when  the  enemy  retired  to  the  mountains,  and 
receiving  a  few  rounds  of  grape  and  canister,  they 
disappeared.  For  several  hours  they  continued  to 
hover  about  our  march  in  scattered  detachments,  too 
remote  for  the  assault  of  our  already  jaded  horses. 
And  though  the  riflemen  dismounted  and  attempted 
to  reach  them  on  foot,  and  the  artillery  was  several 
times  unlimbered  and  brought  to  bear  upon  them,  it 
was  impossible  to  bring  them  to  another  engagement. 
Our  loss  in  this  affair  was  two  killed  and  two  slightly 
•wounded." 

General  Lane,  by  his  bravery  on  this  occasion, 
saved  the  whole  American  command  from  being  cut 


192  GEN.  LANE'S  BBIGADE  IN 

to  pieces.  "When  the  piece  of  artillery  under  Lieut. 
.Fields  arrived,  he  with  Lane  unlimbered  it,  and 
putting  in  a  full  charge  of  grape,  the  general  fired  it 
with  his  lighted  cigar,  there  being  no  percussion- 
caps  for  the  cannon  at  hand.  A  few  rounds  poured 
into  the  head  of  the  Mexican  column  of  lancers, 
changed  their  direction  very  suddenly  and  relieved 
the  brave  Texans  from  imminent  danger,  as  their 
pistols  and  revolvers  had  all  been  fired,  and  they 
had  not,  as  yet,  had  time  to  load. 

Lane  spoke  highly  of  his  men,  and  particularly 
of  Col.  Hays.  Capatins  Roberts  and  Lewis  also 
behaved  admirably,  and  the  former  was  made  a 
brevet  lieutenant-colonel  for  his  good  conduct — 
Lieuts.  Waters,  Lilly,  Whipple,  McDonald,  Doug- 
lass, Blake  and  Fields,  and  assistant  surgeons 
Brower  and  Newton  fought  well. 

First  Lieutenant  Henderson  Ridgely,  of  the  4th 
regiment  of  infantry,  acting  assistant  adjutant-gene- 
ral to  Gen.  Lane,  was  killed  while  gallantly  charg- 
ing with  his  comrades  in  front  of  the  enemy.  He 
seemed  to  have  had  a  presentiment  that  he  would 
be  killed  in  the  fight,  and  frequently  spoke  of  his 
wife  and  family  on  the  night  preceding  the  battle. 
He  was  born  in  the  State  of  Maryland  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  army  from  civil  life,  not  being  a 
graduate  of  the  West  Point  school.  Private  Wil 
liam  Walpas,  of  the  rangers,  was  also  killed.  Lieut. 
S.  W.  Waters  and  one  private,  were  wounded  in  the 
charge,  and  privates  Gorman,  Foss  and  Friedman 
of  the  artillery,  had  been  wounded  on  the  preceding 
day  by  an  accidental  explosion  of  gunpowder.  As 
before  mentioned  private  Border,  or  Baity  as  he  was 


CENTRAL,  MEXICO.  193 

called,  of  company  D,  4th  Indiana  regiment,  was 
mortally  wounded  in  this  expedition  and  died  a  day 
or  two  after  Lane  reached  Puebla.  He  was  a  Ger- 
man, and  by  some  oversight  had  two  coffins  prepared 
for  his  body.  This  circumstance  made  one  of  our 
Irish  soldiers  very  angry,  and  he  expressed  his 
huge  indignation  by  saying,  "There's  ould  Baity,  the 
d  —  d  ould  thraitor  has  two  coffins  fur  him,  when 
many  a  better  man  has  been  buried  without  nary  one." 

The  loss  to  the  enemy  was  about  fifty  killed  and 
wounded.  During  the  engagement,  the  Mexican 
drivers,  after  cutting  the  mules  from  their  teams, 
made  their  escape ;  this  rendered  it  necessary  to 
destroy  all  the  captured  property,  except  the  large 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  the  sabers,  most  of  which  were 
distributed  to  the  mounted  men,  and  the  remainder 
destroyed . 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  2oth,  our  regiment  and 
the  4th  Ohioans  marched  out  of  Puebla,  and  met 
"Old  Jo,"  as  he  was  coming  in.  With  drums 
beating  and  colors  flying,  we  escorted  him  to  his 
quarters  in  the  palace,  and  gave  him  three  cheers 
for  the  success  of  the  expedition.  In  the  period  of 
sixty  hours,  Gen.  Lane  had  traveled  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles,  fought  and  defeated  the  Mexicans  twice, 
broke  up  their  depots,  and  so  discouraged  them  that 
they  abandoned  Matamoros  as  they  had  Atlixco. 

Shortly  after  Lane's  return,  our  regiment  changed 
quarters.  We  moved  out  of  the  old  convent  of  San 
Augustine  —  much  to  the  relief  of  the  Catholic 
monks  —  and  took  the  quarters  which  were  built  for 
the  National  Guard  of  Puebla.  The  right  wing 
occupied  the  quarters  fronting  on  one  street,  while 
17 


194  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

the  left  wing  was  directly  back  of  them  facing  <-n 
another  street.  The  officers  of  the  left  wing,  to 
which  I  was  attached,  were  provided  with  comfort- 
able rooms  in  the  houses  near  the  soldiers'  quarters, 
and  we  were  much  better  accommodated  than  when 
in  the  convent.  In  the  barracks  our  soldiers  were 
well  situated,  and  each  company  had  a  separate 
room,  with  racks  for  their  muskets,  and  bedsteads 
to  sleep  on.  The  rooms  were  clean,  and  the  court- 
yard inside  of  the  building  well  paved,  with  a  nice 
fountain  of  pure  water  bubbling  up  in  the  center. 
The  change  conduced  much  to  the  health  of  the 

o 

troops,  and  they  gained  strength  every  day. 

I  was  sitting  by  a  window  up-stuirs,  one  after- 
noon, looking  out  upon  the  street,  and  watching  tlio 
movements  of  the  Mexicans  who  were  passing  along, 
when  a  slim  young  man  asked  me  from  the  pave- 
ment, if  I  could  direct  him  to  Lieut. -Col.  Dumont's 
quarters?  I  told  him  certainly,  and  directed  him  to 
walk  round  and  come  up  stairs,  as  Duinont  lived  in 
the  same  building  with  me.  He  came  up,  and  I, 
thinking  he  was  a  teamster,  opened  Dumont's  door 
and  asked  him  to  walk  in ;  when,  to  my  surprise, 
our  Lieutenant-Colonel  introduced  the  stranger  to 
'me  as  Colonel  Jack  Hays.  I  shook  hands  with 
him,  and  could  scarcely  realize  that  this  wiry-looking 
fellow  was  the  world -renowned  Texan  ranger.  Jack 
was  very  modest,  and,  sitting  down  on  a  mess-chest, 
commenced  conversing.  He  was  very  plainly  dress- 
ed, and  wore  a  blue  roundabout,  black  leather  cap, 
and  black  pants,  and  had  nothing  about  him  to 
denote  that  he  belonged  to  the  army,  or  held  any 
military  rank  in  it.  His  face  was  sun-browned ;  his 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  195 

cheeks  gaunt ;  and  his  dark  hair  and  dark  eyes  gave 
a  shade  of  melancholy  to  his  features;  he  wore  no 
beard  or  moustache ;  and  his  small  size  —  he  being 
only  about  five  feet  eight — made  him  appear  more 
like  a  boy  than  a  man.  Such  scraps  of  his  history 
as  I  have  been  enabled  to  get  together  I  will  give  in 
this  place. 

John  Coffee  Hays  —  or  as  he  is  more  familiarly 
known  as  "Jack  Hays" — was  born  in  "Wilson  county, 
Tennessee,  in  the  year  1818,  and  was  consequently 
about  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  at  the  time  I  first 
became  acquainted  with  him.  When  nineteen  years 
old,  he  removed  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  where  he 
was  employed  as  a  surveyor  of  public  lands.  In  •' 
1840  he  was  appointed  by  the  Texan  Congress  a  -v. 
major  in  the  republican  service,  and  was  intrusted 
with  the  defense  of  the  frontier  against  the  Indians.  / 
Here,  with  such  friends  as  Chevallie  and  Walker,  he 
spent  his  time,  and  his  name  and  fame  became  a 
terror  to  the  wild  Indian  tribes  who  roamed  about 
on  the  broad  plains  of  the  Far- West.  His  history, 
during  this  period,  is  exceedingly  romantic,  though 
I  have  no  minute  account  of  it. 

Shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  war  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Mexico,  he  was  made     / 
colonel  of  a  regiment  of  Texan  rangers,  of  which 
Walker  was  lieutenant-colonel,  and  with  the  regi- 
ment fought  bravely   at  the   battle  of  Monterey. 

/  He  next  joined  our  brigade,  and  served  with  it  until 
near  the  close  of  the  war.  His  regiment  was  never 
together  on  Scott's  line,  as  a  part  was  left  on  the 
Texan  frontier  to  protect  it  against  the  Indians. 

S    After  the  close  of  the  war,  Jack  went  to  California,    7 


196  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

where  he  served  as  sheriff  of  San  Francisco  county, 
and  is  at  the  present  time  snrveyor-generax 

Notwithstanding  the  appearance  of  the  Texan 
rangers,  Jack  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  had 
learned  by  his  experience  that  the  only  way  to  ren- 
der troops  efficient  is  to  have  them  well  disciplined. 

I  heard  Hays  say  that  his  men  were  as  well  cal- 
culated for  street-fighting  as  any  body  of  troops  could 
be;  but  he  said  that  he  hated  to  meet  a  force  of 
Mexican  lancers  on  an  open  plain,  as  they  were  so 
much  superior  to  his  own  men  in  horsemanship. 
He  said  that  during  the  Texan  revolution  he  went 
to  Texas  with  a  party  of  ninety  men,  and  at  that 
time  all  of  them  were  dead  except  three.  Hays  was 
no  great  talker,  and  appeared  to  avoid  speaking  as 
much  as  possible ;  still  he  was  very  kind,  and  did 
not  seem  to  put  on  any  unnecessary  airs. 

He  spent  the  afternoon  with  Dumont,  and  we  all 
supped  together.  A  number  of  good  anecdotes  were 
told,  but  none  of  them  more  characteristic  of  the 
Texans  than  one  reported  by  S.  C.  Reid,  in  his 
book  entitled  "  McCulloch's  Texas  Rangers."  In 
speaking  of  the  battle  of  Monterey,  he  says : 

"It  was  at  this  time,  while  the  shot  of  the  enemy 
flew  so  thick,  that  one  of  our  number  was  ordered 
by  Col.  Hays  to  ascend  a  large  tree,  in  the  corn-field, 
and  reconnoiter  the  Mexican  infantry.  The  ranger 
reported,  that  the  enemy  kept  their  position,  with- 
out any  seeming  intention  of  advancing;  and  re- 
ceiving no  order  to  descend,  being  within  direct 
range  of  the  enemy's  battery,  and  the  shot  flying 
high,  he  asked  the  Colonel  if  he  should  come  down  ? 

"  'No,  sir,'  said  Hays,  'wait  for  orders.' 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  19? 

"  '  Soon  after,  the  Texans  were  directed  to  return, 
when  they  moved  rapidly  off,  leaving  the  ranger  up 
the  tree ;  and  Hays'  attention  being  called  to  the 
fact,  he  ran  back,  and  cried  out — 

"  '  Halloo,  there — where  are  the  Mexicans  ? ' 

"  '  Going  back  up  the  hill,'  replied  the  ranger, 
without  knowing  who  it  was  that  addressed  him. 

"  'Well,  hadn't  you  better  come  down  from  there,' 
said  Hays. 

"  '  I  don't  know,'  said  the  ranger,  '  I  am  waiting 
for  orders ! ' 

"  '"Well,  then,  I  order  you  down,'  said  Hays. 

"  The  ranger,  discovering  it  to  be  his  colonel, 
without  waiting  for  a  second  call,  like  Martin  Scott's 
coon,  forthwith  descended  from  the  tree." 

The  time  of  our  men,  during  the  month  of  De- 
cember, was  pretty  well  divided  between  guard 
mounting,  beating  up  guerrilla  quarters,  and  attend- 
ing the  theaters ;  of  which  latter  there  were  three  in 
Puebla,  called  respectively,  the  Teatro  Principal, 
Teatro  del  Progreso,  and  Teatro  de  los  Gallos.  The 
first  of  these  was  principally  monopolized  by  the 
Ohio  bo}Ts,  who  got  up  some  very  creditable  theatri- 
cals, and  the  latter  by  Senorita  Carmelita  Morales. 
The  Teatro  del  Progreso,  being  the  nearest  to  our 
quarters,  was  the  one  most  frequently  attended  by 
our  officers  and  men.  Who  among  us  does  not 
recollect  the  beautiful  Senorita  Munoz,  and  who 
does  not  recollect  her  good  singing,  graceful  dancing, 
fine  acting,  and  above  all  her  pronunciation  of  the 
word  "  impossible  ? "  Tn  Anna  Boleyna  she  was  per- 
fection, and  won  as  much  applause  as  the  Buckeye 
boy  who  performed  Lucrecia  Borgia  at  the  Principal. 


198  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

At  evening,  the  street  in  front  of  the  theater  was 
lined  with  carriages,  and  the  fair  Poblanas,  dressed 
in  magnificent  style,  tripped  gayly  into  the  theater, 
and  took  their  places  in  the  boxes.  American  offi- 
cers and  southron  dames  being  all  seated,  the  rat- 
tling of  Spanish  fans,  before  the  rising  of  the  curtain, 
would  be  the  only  sound  heard.  Below  was  a  heter- 
ogeneous mass  of  soldiers  and  blanketed  Mexicans. 

At  the  rising  of  the  curtain  all  sounds  were 
hushed,  and  a  play  went  on  spoken  wholly  in  Span- 
ish. Munoz  was  the  only  one  who  could  speak  the 
Castilian  so  that  it  sounded  like  the  ringing  of  the 
clear  metal.  She,  and  she  only,  could  rivet  the 
attention  of  the  "  northern  barbarians,"  who  would 
sit  and  listen  to  her  by  the  hour,  wrapped  in  silent 
admiration — understanding,  meanwhile,  not  a  word 
she  said.  Her  Spanish  friends  would  now  and  then 
laugh  excessively,  and  we,  understanding  that  the 
"  laughing  time  had  come,"  of  course  followed  suit. 

A  favorite  song  of  the  Mexicans  which  we  used  to 
hear,  called  La  Ponchada,  I  will  here  give  to  my 
readers,  in  order  to  show  them  how  well  we  were 
entertained.  This  was  sung,  mind  yon,  by  Senorita 
Munoz . 

LA   PONCHADA. 

a.  Ya  no  se  llaman  negros 
Los  hijos  de  Aragon, 
Se  llaman  defensorea 
De  Isabel  de  Borbon. 
Ay!  ay!  ay!  Mutilac 
Chapela,  Gorriac. 

2a.       Orgnlloses  marcliaron 
Con  trompeta  y  clariu, 
A  la  playa  llagcron, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  199 

A  tomar  Chacoli. 
Ay!  ay!  ay!  Mutilac 
Chapela,  Gorriac. 

3a.      Mai  Chacoli  tuviera 
En  dia  tan  fatal, 
Y  con  la  borrachera 
Sc  cayo  el  general. 
Ay!  ay!  ay!  Mutilac 
Chapela,  Gorriac. 

In  this  way  we  were  entertained,  and  continued  to 
patronize  the  theater  as  long  as  we  stayed  in  Puebla. 
There  was  a  guard  of  American  and  Mexican  sol- 
diers always  at  the  theater  to  preserve  order. 

One  evening  I  went  up,  in  company  with  four 
other  officers,  and  took  a  box,  after  paying  my 
money.  The  old  Mexican  manager  had  got  some- 
thing crossways  in  him,  and  determined  to  annoy  us 
as  much  as  he  could.  The  first  box  we  went  into 
we  were  obliged  to  give  up  to  a  party  of  Mexican 
ladies:  and  so  with  the  second  and  third.  Not  relish- 
ing this  arrangement  much,  we  determined  to  remain 
in  the  next  box  we  went  into,  if  we  had  to  fight  for 
it.  After  we  had  got  quietly  seated,  the  manager 
Bent  us  word  to  leave  the  box,  as  he  wanted  to  use 
it.  One  of  our  party,  a  lieutenant  of  artillery,  po- 
litely told  the  old  man  to  go  to  h — ,  that  we  would 
not  leave.  The  messenger  went  away,  and  in  a 
short  time  six  Mexican  soldiers  appeared  outside, 
and  told  us  to  open  the  door,  which  we  did,  and  a 
couple  of  bayonets  were  presented  at  us.  We  all 
had  our  sabers,  and  rushing  at  them,  sent  them 
scampering  down  stairs,  two  of  them  having  sore 
heads,  and  one  of  our  men  having  a  slight  stab  from 


200  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

a  bayonet.  We  kept  our  seats,  and  were  not  after- 
ward disturbed.  Some  of  the  Greaseritas  in  the  next 
box  were  considerably  frightened,  and  smelling  salts 
and  eau  de  Cologne  were  in  active  demand.  Quiet 
was  soon  restored,  and  the  play  went  on  without 
further  interruption. 

The  old  and  young,  grave  and  gay,  rich  and  poor, 
(provided  they  could  get  money  enough),  all  visited 
the  theater,  and  without  doing  so  the  day  was  not 
considered  as  properly  ended.  Some  of  the  Mexican 
ladies  that  attended  were  really  beautiful,  and  took 
no  pains  to  conceal  their  charms.  The  love  of  admir- 
ation is  a  national  trait,  and  what  in  this  country 
would  be  considered  as  absolute  rudeness,  waa  there 
looked  upon  as  highly  complimentary. 

Their  orchestras  were  good,  and  with  a  natural 
fondness  for  music  they  pursue  the  study  with  ardor 
and  become  very  expert  musicians.  As  to  the  per- 
formance of  many  of  the  players,  I  cannot  speak,  as  I 
did  not  understand  their  language,  and  always  when 
in  the  theater  had  enough  else  to  occupy  my  atten- 
tion beside  watching  the  maneuvers  of  the  Mexican 
men.  Our  lads  sometimes  joined  them  in  trying  to 
make  sport  for  the  multitude,  and  I  am  free  to  admit 
that  they  always  rendered  themselves  supremely  rid- 
iculous. But  as  this  may  have  been  their  aim,  I  have 
no  reason  to  find  fault  with  them. 

Going  to  the  theater  served  to  while  away  many 
an  hour,  and  on  the  whole  was  extremely  beneficial 
to  us.  We  enjoyed  the  sport  amazingly  after  our 
trials,  and  the  most  indifferent  article  in  the  way  of 
pleasure  was  turned  to  a  good  account.  The  theaters 
were  well  conducted  and  orderly,  and  the  decora- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  201 

tions  inside  of  the  most  chaste  style.  It  was  the 
only  place  where  a  person  could  enjoy  an  hour's  re- 
pose without  being  talked-  to  and  drilled  by  those 
high  in  authority,  or  beset  by  the  trivial  complaints 
and  ceaseless  grumblings  of  some  of  our  soldiers. 
To  sit  there  and  smoke  for  such  is  the  fashion,  and 
take  items  of  passing  events,  was  a  pleasant  pastime 
and  one  which  I  frequently  took  pains  to  enjoy.  I 
always  tried  to  do  my  duty  to  my  country  and  to  my 
regiment,  and  at  the  theater  I  felt  that  1  was  doing 
an  important  service  to  myself,  by  giving  my  mind 
a  little  freedom  and  my  body  some  relaxation  after 
it  had  been  stiffened  to  death  by  military  discipline. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Fight  with  Guerrillas — Battered  on  the  head — Evening  at.  Abe 
Lewis'  quarters — Duel  between  Lieutenants  Martin  and  Lilly — 
Meeting  of  officers  of  our  brigade — Letter  to  General  Lane — 
Medal  ordered  to  be  made — Lane  goes  to  the  city  of  Mexico- 
Letter  to  Gen.  Scott — Guerrillas  in  the  city  of  Puebla — Scott's 
orders  respecting  them — Generals  Torrejon  and  Gaona  taken 
prisoners — Doctor  Elisha  K.  Kane. 

ON  the  night  of  the  5th  of  December  I  had  just 
got  fairly  asleep,  when  the  adjutant  of  onr  regiment 
came  into  my  room,  and  awakening  me,  gave  me  an 
order  to  go  to  the  quarters  and  turn  out  my  company 
for  a  scout  against  the  guerrillas,  who  were  reported 
to  be  in  force  near  Cholula.  Hurrying  on  my  clothes 
as  fast  as  I  could,  I  obeyed  the  order,  at  the  same 
time  heaping  anathemas  on  the  heads  of  everything 
that  lived  and  moved  in  the  valley  of  Anahuac,  for 
being  broke  of  my  rest.  Four  companies  were  soon 
formed  under  Lieuts.  Van  Dusen,  Lewis,  Graham 
and  myself,  and  all  placed  under  command  of  Lieut. - 
Col.  Dumont,  and  with  Lewis'  cavalry  company 
under  Gen.  Lane,  we  left  Puebla.  We  moved  out  on 
the  main  road  and  thence  down  toward  Cholula, 
until  we  had  traveled  about  seven  miles,  when  we 
struck  out  into  the  bushes. 

It  was  a  dull,  gloomy  night ;  the  clouds  were  roll- 
ing up  in  dark  masses,  as  we  marched  silently  along. 
(SOU) 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  203 

Now  and  then  flashes  of  lightning  were  seen  far  off 
to  the  west,  showing  by  their  blue  glare  the  hacien- 
da and  rancho  toward  which  we  were  wending  our 
way.  Nothing  broke  the  stillness  save  the  heavy 
rumbling  of  the  distant  thunder,  the  muffled  tread 
of  our  soldiers  and  the  plaintive  howling  of  the 
scared  dogs,  as  they  watched  the  coming  storm. 

"  Lieutenant,"  said  our  lieutenant-colonel,  in  a 
subdued  voice,  riding  up  to  me  as  I  picked  my  way 
along  at  the  head  of  my  men,  "  take  your  company 
off  to  the  right,  get  in  the  roar  of  the  building,  con- 
ceal yourself  as  well  as  possible,  and  the  first  man 
that  attempts  to  pass  you,  shoot  him." 

I  turned  to  my  soldiers  and  gave  the  order — "File 
right !  close  up ! "  and  we  moved  on  cautiously 
through  the  bushes.  The  remainder  went  round  to 
attack  the  rancho  in  front.  When  we  came  within 
about  fifty  rods  of  the  rancho,  I  ordered  a  halt,  and 
told  the  soldiers  to  examine  their  priming  and  flints, 
which  being  done,  we  again  moved  a  little  closer, 
and  knelt  down  in  the  bushes.  I  could  now  plainly 
see  through  the  canes  of  which  the  building  was  con- 
structed ;  there  was  a  dim  fire  burning  in  one  corner, 
and  around  it  lay  a  number  of  Mexicans,  wrapped 
in  their  blankets,  apparently  buried  in  deep  sleep. 
Their  mustangs  were  huddled  together  in  a  yard,  a 
short  distance  off.  I  also  perceived  a  sentinel,  lean- 
ing with  his  back  against  a  tree  in  the  yard,  his  chin 
resting  upon  his  breast,  the  broad  brim  of  his  hat 
shading  his  dusky  features.  He  was  evidently  asleep, 
as  his  escopette  was  ordered,  the  muzzle  resting  in 
the  bend  of  his  arm. 

By  this  time  the  storm  was  upon  us ;  large  drops 


20-1  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

of  rain  came  pattering  down,  and  a  sharp,  rattling 
crash  of  thunder  followed,  that  seemed  to  rend  the 
heavens.  The  Mexicans  sprang  up  at  the  report, 
but  ere  the  reverberation  ceased,  our  soldiers  in  front 
forced  the  frail  door  and  rushed  with  a  shout  upon 
them.  A  volley  of  musketry  succeeded — then  alow 
wail  of  agony  mingled  with  the  shouts  of  our  sol- 
diers and  the  hissing  curses  of  the  Mexicans.  I 
grasped  the  handle  of  my  saber  more  firmly,  and 
knew  that  the  whole  gang  would  soon  be  upon  us. 
The  locks  of  my  soldiers'  muskets  clicked,  and  I  knew 
they  waited  like  greedy  vultures  for  their  share  of  the 
prey.  They  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  after  a  few 
scattering  shots  from  escopettes,  pistols  and  muskets, 
the  Mexicans,  tearing  away  the  canes,  came  bounding 
toward  us  like  a  gang  of  hyenas.  I  gave  the  word  to 
my  men,  "  Ready!"  their  guns  and  themselves  camo 
quickly  to  a  perpendicular;  "Aim!"  I  hesitated  a 
moment — the  enemy  was  close  upon  us — "Fire!" 
said  I;  the  muskets  flashed  along  our  line,  the  Mex- 
icans staggered,  halted,  and  a  number  pitched  for- 
ward dead  upon  their  faces.  Their  halt  was  only 
momentary,  and  on  they  rushed  again.  "  Give  them 
the  steel,  boys  !"  said  I,  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  and 
at  the  same  instant  I  received  a  blow  on  the  right 
side  of  my  head  which  settled  me  back  partly 
stunned;  the  whole  inside  of  my  head  seemed  won- 
derfully lit  up,  and  I  raved  like  a  madman.  I  turned 
in  the  direction  of  the  retreating  Mexicans,  and 
dashed  forward  with  my  boys,  some  of  whom  alrea- 
dy had  the  start  of  me,  in  pursuit  of  them.  They 
beat  us  running,  and  Dumont  came  riding  up  on 
horseback,  and  ordered  us  to  halt,  as  it  was  useless 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  205 

to  follow  Ihcm  in  the  dark.  We  faced  about  and 
marched  back  to  the  ranche,  where  1  met  Chris. 
Graham  who  came  up  and  shook  me  by  the  hand. 

"  Come  in,"  said  he,  and  we  entered  the  building 
together.  I  went  up  to  the  fire,  which  had  been  ro 
plenished,  and  taking  off  my  heavy  overcoat,  now 
dripping  wet,  sat  down  to  dry  myself.  When  I  re- 
moved my  cap,  Chris,  pointed  to  my  forehead  and 
exclaimed  —  "Why  they  haven't  pinked  you,  have 
they,  old  boy  ?"  "  It  feels  some  like  it,"  said  I, 
gruffly. 

He  then  came  up  and  examined  my  bruise,  which 
was  a  cut  about  an  inch  long ;  the  blood  was  oozing 
out  of  it  quite  profusely,  and  trickling  down  my 
cheek.  "  How  did  you  feel  when  they  struck  you  2" 
said  Chris. 

"  I  felt  something  like  an  illuminated  bible,"  said 
I,  in  no  very  enviable  humor. 

"Here,  take  some  of  this,"  said  Chris.,  handing 
me  a  flask  of  cogniac,  "  it  will  make  you  feel  better;" 
and  while  I  took  a  pretty  stiff  pull  at  it,  he  bound 
up  my  head  with  a  handkerchief. 

A  few  moments  after  I  felt  very  much  relieved, 
and  getting  up  off  my  seat  I  went  to  a  corner  of  the 
building,  where  I  found  Charley  Lewis,  the  orderly 
sergeant  of  our  company.  I  inquired  how  our  men 
were,  and  he  replied,  "  One  killed,  and  two  wound- 
ed, sir,  beside  yourself." 

"Who  is  killed?"  inquired  I. 

"  Harvey  Drake,  sir — here  he  is  ;"  and  moving  a 
little  to  the  right,  ha  showed  me  the  body  of  poor 
Drake.  His  jacket  was  unbuttoned,  his  shirt  torn 
open,  and  through  the  upper  part  of  his  left  breast 


206  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

was  a  horrid  ball-hole.  His  arms  were  crossed  on 
his  body,  and  his  head  lay  over  on  one  side.  I  heaved 
a  sigh  as  I  looked  upon  this  noble,  brave  fellow,  who 
was  beloved  by  all  his  comrades. 

We  went  on  a  little  further  and  found  our  wound- 
ed men,  one  with  a  bad  lance-wound,  and  the  other, 
like  myself,  none  the  better  for  a  battered  cranium. 
They  were  doing  as  well  as  circumstances  would 
admit,  and  I  left  them,  after  a  few  consolatory  words, 
and  went  to  the  door,  where  I  found  Dumont  con- 
versing with  Lane,  who  was  surrounded  by  the  dif- 
ferent officers  of  the  command. 

Our  loss  had  been  two  killed  (Drake  and  Adams) 
and  five  wounded.  The  Mexican  loss  was  fourteen 
killed,  three  wounded,  and  seven  prisoners;  beside 
which  we  had  captured  over  thirty  horses,  saddles, 
etc.,  and  a  great  many  lances,  sabers,  pistols  and 
escopettes,  and  had  most  effectually  broken  up  this 
den  of  guerrillas. 

Lane  complimented  me  for  the  part  I  had  taken 
in  the  skirmish,  and  after  conversing  some  time  he 
ordered  us  to  form  our  companies  as  eoon  as  possi- 
ble, and  return  to  Puebla. 

The  storm  was  now  passed,  and  the  gray  streaks 
of  dawn  began  to  appear  in  the  east.  Our  men  were 
all  in  line — the  wounded  that  were  .able  to  ride  were 
placed  on  horseback;  litters  provided  for  the  dead 
and  badly  wounded ;  the  prisoners  tied  together  in 
pairs,  and,  after  piling  the  Mexican  dead  in  a  heap 
near  the  build  ing  and  putting  on  the  finish  ing  touches 
by  setting  fire  to  the  ranche  in  four  places,  we  com- 
menced our  inarch  homeward. 

I  was  mounted  on  a  fiery  little  mustang,  and  rodo 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  207 

along  very  comfortably.  I  looked  round,  after  we 
had  been  on  the  route  a  short  time,  and  saw  the 
flames  leaping  up  and  curling  about  the  burning 
building,  and  as  we  turned  round  an  angle  of  the 
old  Pyramid  of  Cholula,  that  shut  it  from  our  view, 
the  thatched  roof  fell  in,  burying  forever  that  guer- 
rilla den  in  a  mass  of  ruins. 

When  our  motley  group  reached  the  city,  which 
was  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  were  re- 
ceived with  shouts  of  joy  by  the  officers  and  men  of 
our  brigade.  I  gave  the  command  of  the  company 
to  Sergeant  Lewis,  who  marched  it  off  to  the  quar- 
ters ;  and  as  I  was  turning  my  horse  to  ride  to  my 
quarters,  Abo  Lewis  rode  up  and  gave  me  an  invita- 
tion to  come  and  take  supper  at  his  quarters. 

I  was  well  satisfied  to  get  back  to  my  room  again, 
and  after  taking  a  strong  cnp  of  coffee  and  a  good 
sleep,  felt  very  much  refreshed.  The  breaking  up 
of  the  guerrilla  quarters  was  considered  a  great  feat, 
as  we  had  been  repeatedly  annoyed  by  them,  and 
had  effectually  prevented  their  gathering  in  that 
place  for  the  future. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  Lewis'  quarters,  and 
there  found  Graham  and  a  few  other  good  fellows, 
and  we  enjoyed  ourselves  well  after  our  tedious 
march  on  the  previous  evening.  A  supper  of  eggs, 
mutton,  oranges,  bananas,  pineapples,  etc.,  washed 
down  with  pulque,  served  to  render  the  evening 
agreeable ;  and  Graham  told  a  few  stories  in  his 
quaint  way ;  and  Lieut.  McLean  sang  a  good  song. 

There  is  a  saying  among  the  Mexicans  to  this 
effect  — u  Puebla  is  the  first  heaven,  Mexico  the 
second  ;"  and  I  certainly  believe  they  are  right ;  at 


208  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

all  events  I  thought  so  that  evening ;  and  a  merrier 
set  of  young  bucks  never  congregated  around  a 
social  board.  Mark  McGraw  had  been  with  us  to 
Oholula,  and  of  course  made  pretty  free,  and  the 
consequence  was,  he  got  glorious  and  retired. 
About  twelve  o'clock  I  went  home,  and  heard  some 
one  talking  and  laughing  in  a  very  pleasant  manner 
up-stairs.  I  thought  it  very  strange,  and  on  going 
up  found  everything  dark  ;  but  still  the  talking  con- 
tinued, and  a  hearty  chuckle  would  now  and  then 
fill  up  the  interstices  of  conversation.  I  struck  a 
light,  and  looking  around  saw  Mark  sitting  flat  on 
the  floor,  with  his  back  braced  against  the  wall, 
evidently  feeling  in  the  best  humor  in  the  world 
with  himself.  I  asked  him  -who  he  was  talking  to  ? 

"Never  mind,"  said  he,  "I'm  having  a  good 
time;"  and  then  followed  a  laugh,  which  shook  his 
good-natured  sides.  He  had  imbibed  pretty  freely, 
and  was  still  under  the  impression  that  he  was  at 
the  party.  I  got  him  on  a  blanket,  and  let  him  cool 
till  morning,  and  he  came  out  as  bright  as  a  button. 

Near  the  quarters  was  a  house  where  fandangoes 
were  held  nearly  every  evening,  and  I  took  pains  to 
attend  them  once  in  a  while,  accompanied  only  by 
Mark  McGraw.  I  had  no  desire  to  join  in  the  waltz 
myself;  but  still  I  loved  to  see  the  Mexicans  enjoy 
themselves ;  and  being,  beside  Mark,  the  only 
American  present,  I  had  pleasant  times  all  by 
myself.  Pulque  generally  floated  very  freely,  and  a 
dollar  would  buy  enough  to  supply  the  company  for 
the  evening 

Capt.  Fravel,  of  our  company,  gave  a  supper  to 
the  officers,  a  short  time  after  the  one  just  spoken  of, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  209 

and  a  great  many  were  present — among  the  rest, 
Major  Crutchfield,  of  Arkansas,  paymaster  in  Pue- 
bla.  The  evening  passed  merrily  away:  though 
there  were  two  cavalry  officers  who  got  into  a  quar- 
rel, at  the  Sociedad  del  Commercio,  which  resulted 
in  a  challenge.  The  parties  were  Lieut.  Martin,  of 
the  3d  dragoons ;  and  Lieut  Lilly,  of  the  Louisiana 
cavalry.  Arrangements  were  made  for  the  meeting 
on  the  following  morning,  at  day -break. 

Accordingly,  after  the  symposium,  I  rose  early, 
and,  in  company  with  another  o'licer,  went  to  the 
Alameda  garden  to  witness  the  duel.  The  parties 
came  on  the  ground,  and  after  the  necessary  prelim- 
inaries took  their  stands.  The  weapons  were  dra- 
goon sabers,  and  the  first  blood  drawn  was  to  decide 
the  fight.  Dressed  in  blue  frock-coats,  closely  but- 
toned, they  commenced  hacking  away  at  each  other, 
and  both  being  good  swordsmen,  the  harsh  clash  of 
their  steel  blades  sounded  murderous  enough,  while 
long  streaks  of  fire  rolled  off  the  edges.  At  last, 
Martin  being  slightly  off  his  guard,  Lilly  made  a 
pass  at  him  to  run  him  through  the  left  side  of  his 
body,  which  Martin  seeing,  quick  as  thought,  he 
grasped  the  blade  of  Lilly's  saber  with  his  left  hand, 
throwing  it  clear  of  his  body,  but  receiving  at  the 
same  time  a  wound  which  cleft  his  hand  to  the  bone. 
The  blood  flowed  freely,  and  he  was  immediately 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  surgeon. 

The  duel  was  ended,  and  we  returned  home  to 

think  it  over,  and  say  nothing  about  it.    Martin  was 

unpopular,  and  a  few  days  afterward  went  to  the 

city  of  Mexico,  where  he  joined  his  regiment.    He 

18  *"*-*' 


210  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

died  afterward,  at  the  National  Bridge,  while  on  his 
return  home. 

On  my  wuy  home  I  met  a  decent-looking  soldier, 
and  going  up  to  him  I  asked  him  about  some  of  his 
officers.  "  Officers,"  said  he,  touching  his  cap,  "  I 
know  but  d — d  little  about  the  officers — I  belong  in 
the  rear  rank  on  the  left  flank."  I  could  say  no 
more,  and  left  him  wiping  a  pair  of  green  spectacles, 
he  being  slightly  sore-eyed.  This  was  the  most 
independent  expression  of  feeling  I  had  ever  heard, 
and  I  left  the  soldier  with  a  high  opinion  of  his 
moral  worth  and  independence. 

Since  our  arrival  in  Puebla,  there  had  been  con- 
siderable jealousy  of  Gen.  Lane,  on  the  part  of  Col. 
Childs,  who  took  every  measure  in  his  power  to 
annoy  our  noble  commander.  Lane  was  a  most 
indefatigable  follower  of  the  armed  Mexican  bands 
of  guerrillas,  and  the  way  he  followed  them  was 
rather  a  novelty  to  the  old  straight-laced  army 
officers,  who  thought  everything  must  be  done  on 
scientific  principles.  The  truth  is,  Lane  "pounded 
the  rust  off  the  guerrillas,"  as  our  boys  said,  in  such 
a  way  as  to  render  his  name  a  '"terror  to  all  evil- 
doers;" and  while  Childs  was  reposing  on  his 
laurels,  Lane  was  scouring  the  Country  far  and  near, 
and  carrying  the  American  flag,  in  triumph  and 
glory,  to  the  most  secluded  spots  haunted  by  the 
guerrilla  robbers. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  the  officers  of  our  brigade 
held  a  meeting  at  the  Casa  "Washington,  in  the  city 
of  Puebla,  to  take  into  consideration  a  certain  com- 
munication Which  Col.  Thomas  Childs  had  forwarded 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  911 

to  General  Scott,  and  which  contained  gross  mis- 
representations with  regard  to  General  Lane.  The 
meeting  was  called  to  order  and  Lieut. -Colonel  A. 
Moore  appointed  chairman,  and  Capt.  A.  L.  Mason 
secretary.  The  following  memorial  was  drawn  up, 
unanimously  adopted,  and  after  being  signed  by 
nearly  every  officer  of  the  brigade,  was  delivered  to 
Gen.  Lane. 

"  Puella,  Mexico,  December  Q,  1847. 
41  To  BRIG.-GEJT.  JOSEPH  LAKE, 

"  Commanding  Department  of  Puebla. 

"Sir: — The  undersigned,  officers  in  the  brigade 
under  your  command,  have  seen  with  infinite  regret, 
a  communication  from  the  Bishop  of  Puebla,  cov- 
ering and  inclosing  a  communication  from  Senor 
Baltazar  Prefect,  addressed  through  Col.  Childs, 
civil  and  military  governor  of  this  city,  to  the  gen- 
eral commander-in-chief. 

"In  these  papers,  complaint  is  made  that,  through 
your  direction  or  permission,  and  by  the  troops  under 
your  command,  defenseless  towns  have  been  entered, 
and  the  persons  and  property  of  non-combatants 
outraged — that  the  churches  have  been  broken  open, 
especially  that  of  San  Francisco  at  Tlascala,  and  the 
sacred  vestments  ^stolen  therefrom  worn  in  public 
profanation  by  soldiers,  etc. 

"It  is  further  set  forth  that  these  acts  of  outrage 
and  sacrilege  had  been  committed  contrary  to  the 
protestations  of  Gov.  Childs— that  he  had  done  all  in 
his  power  to  remedy  them,  but  that  even  he  had 
been  unable  to  recover  all  the  church  property  plun- 
dered at  Tlascala— =and,  to  prevent  future  like  acts 
of  desecration  the  geriefal-iri*chief  is  implorfed  to 


213  GEN.    LANE'S   BRIGADE  IN 

'  strike  at  the  root  of  the  evil.'  by  directing  the 
order  especially  to  yon,  for  the  restraint  of  the 
troops  under  your  immediate  command. 
.  "This  document,  printed  in  the  Spanish  tongue, 
is  being  hawked  about  and  sold  by  hundreds  in  the 
streets,  at  a  time  when  the  inflammable  and  vindic- 
tive populace  is  encouraged  to  acts  of  open  hostility 
and  secret  assassination,  by  the  small  number  of 
troops  under  your  command,  and  your  inability, 
from  the  absence  of  mounted  men,  to  scourge,  as 
heretofore,  the  enemy's  guerrillas  back  to  their  lairs 
at  a  distance. 

"It  seems  inconceivable  to  us  that  Gov.  Childs — 
if  he  possesses  a  knowledge  of  the  true  character  of 
this  document,  in  view  of  the  regulations  of  all  mili- 
tary etiquette,  of  the  truth  as  we  know  it  to  be,  and 
for  the  honor  of  American  arms — can  have  forwarded 
at  all,  much  less  with  approval,  these  libels  upon 
you  and  your  command.  But  in  the  possible  contin- 
gency that  he  may  have  transmitted  it,  through  in- 
advertency or  otherwise,  it  is  due  to  you,  to  ourselves, 
and  to  truth  and  the  national  arms,  to  state  the  facts 
as  they  are.  We  do  therefore.  General,  make  the 
following  statement,  which  you  are  at  liberty  to  use 
as  you  deem  expedient,  the  correctness  of  which  we 
are  prepared  to  maintain  by  any  test  and  before 
any  tribunal. 

"  First  then,  in  relation  to  entering  defenseless 
towns,  and  the  outraging  of  the  persons  and  property 
of  non-combatants.  So  far  as  this  relates  to  the  city 
of  Puebla,  you  entered  it  with  your  command,  at  the 
earnest  and  repeated  solicitation  of  Gov.  Childs,  to 
rescue  it  and  him  from  an  infuriated  enemy,  quar- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  213 

tered  and  fortified  in  more  than  one  of  its  many 
churches.  It  was  not  a  defenseless  place;  Col. 
Gorman  and  his  officers  can  testify  that  they  were 
fired  upon  near  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city,  as  also 
can  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  commanding  a  detachment 
of  that  regiment,  and  the  officers  under  him,  and 
they  fought  and  pursued  a  strong  body  of  guerrillas, 
interchanging  volley  after  volley  into  and  through  it. 
Colonel  Brough  and  his  officers  can  declare  that  they 
were  fired  upon  by  more  than  fifty  guerrillas  from 
the  church  of  San  Francisco,  on  the  topmost  spire 
of  which  floated  a  lancer's  flag,  upon  their  first  en- 
trance. And  Lieut.-Col.  Moore,  of  the  Ohio  regi- 
ment, commanding  a  detachment,  with  his  officers, 
can  also  affirm  that  they  fought  and  pursued  another 
large  body  of  the  enemy  from  street  to  street,  being 
also  fired  upon  from  the  windows  and  house-tops  at 
almost  every  step ;  and  that  the  enemy  made  a  final 
and  desperate  stand  under  cover  of  the  church  at 
the  Alameda ;  further,  that  before  the  door  of  that 
very  church,  they  found  the  horridly  mutilated  corpses 
of  several  soldiers  of  Col.  Childs'  command,  who  had 
been  overpowered  and  slain  that  very  morning. 

"That  some  acts  of  pillage  were  committed  that 
afternoon,  and  the  night  following,  is  true.  There 
are  bad  men  everywhere,  and  it  cannot  be  claimed 
that  your  command  is  wholly  exempt.  Something, 
however,  must  be  allowed  to  the  excited  passions 
of  men,  so  opposed  by  an  enemy  fighting,  not  for 
victory,  but  for  slaughter;  and  something  must  be 
allowed  for  the  first  chaos  of  a  conquered  city  before 
government  can  be  organized.  Yet  even  in  respect 
to  these  acts,  we  unitedly  aver  that  they  were  less 

.  ""  :  V  . 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

extensive  and  flagrant  than  the  wrongs  committed 
by  the  Mexican  troops  upon  their  own  people,  non- 
combatants,  these  latter  being  witnesses ;  that  by  far 
the  greater  portion  of  them  were  committed  by  men 
under  the  immediate  command  of  Governor  Cliilds, 
and  that  every  possible  effort  was  made  by  you,  Sir, 
eventually  with  success,  to  arrest  them. 

"And  equally  unwarrantable  is  the  charge  in  re- 
spect to  the  entrances  of  Atlixco,  Tlascala,  and  Mata- 
moros.  The  enemy  had  contested  every  practicable 
position  for  six  miles  of  the  road  leading  to  Atlixco. 
Routed  and  driven  with  loss  from  each  of  these  by 
the  cavalry  under  command  of  Captains  Ford  and 
Lewis,  they  lined  the  hedges  and  house-tops  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  town,  and  discharged  repeated  volleys 
of  small  arms  as  the  head  of  the  infantry-column 
approached.  It  was  then  quite  dark — the  plan  of 
the  town  was  unknown  —  the  enemy  in  apparent 
force,  and,  as  all  supposed,  with  artillery.  Under 
these  circumstances,  with  the  advice  and  approbation 
of  every  field-officer  near  your  person,  you  directed 
the  artillery  to  open  and  continue  its  fire  until  the 
enemy's  musketry  was  silenced.  Even  then,  the 
town  was  not  formally  surrendered  until  we  had 
entered  it  in  force.  The  command  of  Col.  Brough 
was  quartered  in  the  buildings  append ent  to  a 
church,  in  which  were  found  a  quantity  of  bread 
for  the  enemy's  troops,  a  room,  seats,  ink,  paper, 
and  a  brazier  containing  yet  living  coals — that  same 
room  having  been  the  guerrilla  head -quarters.  In 
another  church,  as  we  have  since  been  creditably 
informed,  there  were  concealed  four  pieces  of  cannon 
and  other  -arm?.  You  made  every  exertion  to  prc- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  215 

vent  acts  of  pillage,  and  succeeded  so  far  as  was 
practicable. 

"  The  first  entrance  into  Tlascala,  we  cannot  sup- 
pose to  be  subject-matter  of  complaint.  The  enemy 
were  there,  and  forcibly  driven  out.  The  second 
expedition  was  projected  by  you,  at  eleven  o'clock  at 
night,  at  the  instance  of  merchants,  non-combatants, 
some  of  them  Mexicans,  all  having  American  pro- 
tection, who  had  been  robbed  by  Gen.  Rea  of  goods 
of  immense  value.  The  infantry,  to  the  number  of 
four  hundred,  in  six  hours  marched  upward  of 
twenty  miles  over  a  rough  road  and  in  the  night, 
to  recover  and  restore  the  stolen  goods.  You  enter- 
ed with  Capt.  Roberts  in  advance — found  the  church 
of  San  Francisco  in  possession  of  the  guerrillas  and 
were  fired  upon  from  thence.  Afterward  Lieut.-Col. 
Dumont,  with  his  command,  seized  at  this  church  a 
large  number  of  horses  and  arms,  and  several  guer- 
•rilla  officers'  and  soldiers  concealed  in  the  recesses. 
You  found  the  merchant-train  in  the  act  of  being 
fired  by  Rea  and  his  robbers,  who,  since  they  could 
not  keep,  were  determined  to  destroy,  this  argosy  of 
non-combatants.  From  out  of  the  very  building, 
whence  had  issued  a  squad  of  thirty  guerrillas,  yon 
obtained  forage,  and  because  it  was  claimed  with 
apparent  truth  as  private  property,  caused  it  to  be 
paid  for.  On  the  floor  of  this  church,  a  number  of 
priests'  robes  were  found  lying,  some  of  which  were 
no  doubt  taken  by  our  soldiers,  though  every  effort 
was  made  by  the  officers  to  restore  the  property. 

"  Iri  the  affair  of  Matamoros  but  few  of  us  partici- 
pated, but  we  have  every  assurance  that  it  was  a 
recruiting  station  of  guerrillas.  . 


216  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

"  It  is  strange  to  us  that  it  should  be  said  '  that 
even  Gov.  Childs  had  been  unable  to  recover  and 
return  all  the  church  property  in  question?  The 
truth  is,  that  he  recovered  none  of  it,  although  he  waa 
the  medium  of  restoring  that  which  was  taken  to  head- 
quarters, in  pursuance  of  your  orders.  Our  purpose 
is  not  accusation  but  vindication.  We  forbear  there- 
fore to  inquire  by  what  means  the  popularity,  so 
vaunted  at  your  expense,  has  been  obtained  among  a 
hostile  and  vindictive  people.  You,  Sir,  may  well 
afford  to  admit  that  you  have  only  treated  them 
justly — you  have  flogged  their  armed  bands  too 
severely  ever  to  become  a  favorite. 

"  With  sentiments  of  the  highest  esteem,  we  are, 
General,  your  obedient  servants." 

(Signed  by  forty -six  officers.) 

The  following  resolution  was  also  unanimously 
adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  Col.  Gorman,  Col.  Drough,  Capt. 
Lewis  and  Capt.  Kessler.  be  appointed  a  committee 
to  obtain  a  medal,  and  present  it  to  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Lane,  in  the  name  of  the  officers  of  his  brigade." 

The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

We  all  felt  indignant  at  the  conduct  of  Col.  Childs, 
though  it  was  in  keeping  with  his  former  conduct  at 
Jalapa,  where,  says  a  soldier  who  was  under  him  at 
that  time, — "The  officer  commanding  the  main 
guard  had  received  orders  to  have  the  guard  under 
arms,  and  at  the  approach  of  the  procession  (Catho- 
lic procession  of  the  host)  to  cause  them  to  present 
arms,  and  then  kneel  with  their  muskets  in  the  left 
hands  and  their  caps  in  the  right,  until  the  proces- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  217 

sion  had  passed.  To  the  credit  of  the  volunteers, 
who  formed  about  two-thirds  of  the  guard,  they  re- 
fused to  obey  this  absurd  order,  which  was  luckily 
not  insisted  on,  or  the  consequences  might  have 
been  serious."  English  Soldier  in  the  U.  S.  Army, 
page  213.  —  Childs  was  at  that  time  Governor  of 
Jalapa. 

I  am  not  disposed  to  be  captious,  but  must  say  in 
truth,  that  all  Col.  Childs'  misrepresentations  had  no 
effect  upon  General  Scott,  who  knew  that  Lane  had 
done  right,  and  he  was  afterward  intrusted  with 
the  command  of  a  number  of  important  expeditions 
by  the  General-in-Chief. 

On  the  llth  of  December,  Major-Generals  Butler 
and  Patterson  arrived  in  Puebla  with  a  large  Amer- 
ican force  from  Vera  Cruz.  Their  force  consisted  of 
the  5th  Indiana  and  5th  Ohio  regiments,  one  Ken- 
tucky and  two  Tennessee  regiments,  beside  some 
regulars.  Major  Lally  and  Captains  Heintzelman 
and  Simmons,  with  their  battalions,  also  went  up 
with  them  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  They  went  on 
through  Puebla,  leaving  three  companies  of  the  5th 
Ohio  regiment  with  us  to  guard  the  city. 

Brigadier-General  Lane  left  us  on  the  14th  of  De- 
cember for  the  city  of  Mexico,  where  he  had  been 
ordered  to  report  in  person  to  Gen.  Scott.  "  He  was 
received  by  the  commanding  general,"  says  a  writer, 
"  with  marked  emotion,  creditable  alike  to  General 
Scott  as  to  the  citizen  soldier  whose  deeds  had  won 
the  distinction  of  the  veteran's  approval." 

"We  parted  with  our  general  in  silence,  being  too 
much  moved  to  address  him  with  empty  words  and 
unmeaning  compliments.     He  knew  us — we  knew 
19 


213  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

him — and  the  rough  scenes  through  which  we  had 
passed  bound  us  together  by  a  tie  stronger  than  mere 
friendship! 

Lane  loved  his  brigade,  and  knew  us  all  person- 
ally. I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned  a  little  vanity  it'  I 
insert  in  this  place  a  short  extract  from  one  of  his 
letters,  directed  to  a  friend,  dated  Washington,  Dec. 
28th,  1851,  in  which  he  thus  refers  to  myself.  Says 
he:  "I  recollect  well  the  gallant  bearing  of  Lieut. 
Brackett  in  the  battles  of  Huaraantla  and  Atlixco, 
and  also  upon  other  trying  occasions,  and  hope  you 
will  present  to  him  my  best  wishes  for  his  happiness 
and  prosperity."  This  from  Lane  is  as  good  as  old 
gold  to  me. 

Shortly  after  reaching  the  city  of  Mexico,  he  sent 
the  following  letter  to  Gen.  Scott. 

"  HEAP- QUARTERS,  Enio.-GEX.  LANE, 
Mexico,  D<»c.  21st,  1847. 

"Sis: — At  the  solicitation  of  the  colonels  and 
other  officers  of  the  4th  Ohio  volunteers  and  4th  In- 
diana volunteers,  and  other  men  now  stationed  at 
Puebla,  I  respectfully  beg  leave  to  present  to  the 
consideration  of  the  General -in -chief,  their  earnest 
•wishes,  if  in  his  opinion  compatible  with  the  interest 
of  the  service,  to  be  permitted  to  advance  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  new  troops  which  are  soon  expected  to 
arrive  in  Puebla.  The  4th  Ohio  under  Col.  Brongh, 
and  4th  Indiana  under  Col.  Gorman,  have  been  in 
service  some  seven  months,  and  from  the  other  line 
arrived  with  me  in  Puebla.  They  are  well  drilled, 
and  are  in  as  good,  if  not  better  condition,  than  any 
volunteer  troops  between  this  city  and  Vera  Crnz. 
In  several  affairs  they  have  shown  the  utmost  steadi. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

ness  and  reliable  bravery  under  fire,  and  are  en- 
deared to  me — both  officers  and  men  —  by  their 
faithful  service..  Will  the  General-in-Chief  pardon 
me  a  freedom,  prompted  by  a  personal  regard  to 
Capt.  Lewis,  of  the  Louisiana  mounted  volunteers, 
in  requesting  that  he  may  be  attached  to  my  com- 
mand. His  gallant  conduct,  in  all  my  affairs  be- 
tween Jalapa  and  Puebla,  makes  me  desirous  (should 
you  approve)  to  have  him  with  me. 

"With  great  respect  I  am,  Sir, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 
"JOSEPH  LANE,  Brig.  Gen.  U.S.  A. 
"To  Capt.  II.  L.  SCOTT,  A.  A.  A.  Gen." 

In  reply  to  this  letter,  Gen.  Scott  assured  Lane 
that,  in  case  of  a  forward  movement  toward  San 
Luis  Potosi,  our  brigade  should  be  sent  ahead. 

After  Lane's  departure,  Col.  Childs  was  left  in 
command  at  Puebla,  as  civil  and  military  governor, 
and  Col.  Gorman  was  appointed  commander  of  the 
city  troops.  The  garrison  consisted  of  our  regiment, 
the  4th  Ohioans,  three  companies  of  the  5th  Ohioans, 
under  Lieut.-Col.  Latham,  some  artillery  soldiers, 
and  Lewis'  cavalry  company.  Fort  Loretto  was 
garrisoned  by  Company  E  of  our  regiment,  under 
Capt.  Crooks,  together  with  one  other  company. 
The  whole  number  of  troops,  of  all  arms,  did  not 
exceed  two  thousand.  The  garrison  was  afterwai'd 
strengthened  by  a  battalion  of  artillery  under  Major 
Wm.  W.  Morris,  of  the  4th  artillery.  Morris  was 
an  old  officer,  and  had  served  as  major  of  a  regiment 
of  mounted  Creek  volunteers  in  the  Florida  war. 

Puebla  was  quiet  under  the  direction  of  Colonel 


220  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Childs,  though  the  city  was  still  infested  with  guer- 
rillas, who  continued  to  kill  our  soldiers  in  the  streets 
whenever  and  wherever  an  opportunity  offered.  A 
soldier  of  company  H,  named  Jones,  went  down 
street  one  evening,  and  while  there  was  attacked  by 
a  party  of  these  fellows,  who  cut  and  hacked  him  in 
the  most  shocking  manner,  and  left  him  for  dead  in 
the  streets.  He  subsequently  recovered,  though  he 
was  maimed  and  disabled  for  life.  Another  man, 
attached  to  the  quartermaster's  department,  was  las- 
soed while  he  was  riding  on  horseback,  dragged 
from  his  horse,  and  pulled  some  distance  along  the 
street  by  his  neck.  "With  great  presence  of  mind  he 
drew  a  knife  and  cut  the  rope,  and  succeeded  in 
making  his  escape  from  them.  Lieut.  Graebe,  of  the 
Ohioans,  was  also  attacked,  but  they  let  him  alone 
after  he  had  killed  two  of  them.  In  consequence  of 
these  attacks,  and  similar  ones  which  occurred  in 
Mexico  and  Jalapa,  General  Scott  issued  the  follow- 
ing order,  which  was  read  to  the  different  regiments: 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  or  THE  ARMY, 
Mexico,  December  12,1847. 

"  1.  The  highways  of  Mexico,  used  or  about  to  be 
used  by  the  American  troops,  being  still  infested  in 
many  parts  by  those  atrocious  bands  called  Guerril- 
las and  Ranch«ro$,  who,  under  instructions  from 
the  late  Mexican  authorities,  continue  to  violate 
every  rule  of  warfare  observed  by  civilized  nations, 
it  has  become  necessary,  in  order  to  insure  vigor  and 
uniformity  in  the  pursuit  of  the  evil,  to  announce  to 
all  the  views  and  instructions  of  general  head-quar- 
ters on  the  subject. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  221 

"  2.  Every  American  post  established  in  Mexico 
will  daily  push  detachments  or  patrols  as  far  as 
practicable,  to  disiufest  the  neighborhood,  its  roads 
and  places  of  concealment. 

"  3.  No  quarters  will  be  given  to  known  murderers 
or  robbers,  whether  called  guerrillas  or  rancheros, 
and  whether  serving  under  Mexican  commissions  or 
not.  They  are  equally  pests  to  unguarded  Mexicans, 
foreigners,  and  small  parties  of  Americans,  and 
ought  to  be  exterminated. 

"  4.  Offenders  of  the  above  character,  accidentally 
falling  into  the  hands  of  American  troops,  will  be 
momentarily  held  as  prisoners — that  is, 'not  put  to 
death  without  due  solemnity.  Accordingly,  they 
will  be  reported  to  commanding  officers,  who  will 
without  delay  order  a  Council  of  War,  for  the  sum- 
mary trial  of  the  offenders  under  the  known  laws  of 
war  applicable  to  such  cases. 

41  5.  A  council  of  war  may  consist  of  any  number 
of  officers,  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  thirteen, 
and  may,  for  any  flagrant  violation  of  the  laws  of 
war,  condemn  to  death  or  to  lashes,  not  exceeding 
fifty,  on  satisfactory  proof  that  such  prisoner,  at  the 
time  of  capture,  actually  belonged  to  any  party  or 
gang  of  known  robbers  or  murderers,  or  had  actually 
committed  murder  or  robbery  upon  any  American 
officer  or  soldier,  or  follower  of  the  American  army. 

"6.  Punishments  awarded  by  councils  of  war  will 
be  reviewed,  approved  or  disapproved  by  the  com- 
manders who  respectively  order  the  councils,  and  in 
cases  of  approval  be  immediately  put  into  execution 
by  their  orders ;  but  councils  of  war,  except  in  ex- 
treme cases,  will  be  ordered  only  by  commanders  of 


223  GEN.  LAKE'S  BRIGADE  ra 

detached  divisions  or  brigades,  or  by  commanders 
of  military  departments. 

"  7.  All  punishments  under  this  order  will   be 
duly  reported  to  general  head -quarters. 
"  By  command  of 

"  MAJOR-GENERAL  SCOTT." 

In  the  latter  part  of  December,  Col.  Dominguez, 
•with  his  contra-guerrillas,  was  returning  toward 
Puebla  from  Yera  Cruz,  as  an  escort  for  Dr.  Kane, 
bearer  of  dispatches  from  government  to  Gen.  Scott, 
when  he  accidentally  fell  in  with  a  body  of  Mexican 
troops  under  Generals  Torrejon  and  Gaona,  near 
Napaloucan.  A  fight  instantly  took  place,  and  the 
whole  body  of  Mexicans  surrendered.  After  the 
fight,  Col.  Dominguez,  having  a  spite  against  Gen. 
Gaona,  attempted  to  kill  him.  Dr.  Kane  interfered, 
and  in  his  efforts  to  save  the  life  of  the  general,  who 
•\va>  a  prisoner  of  war,  received  a  severe  wound. 
Kane  was  successful,  and  Torrejon  and  Gaona,  with 
Major  Gaona  and  Captain  Torres  and  about  a  hun- 
dred Mexican  soldiers,  were  safely  brought  into 
Puebla,  and  delivered  over  to  Colonel  Childs.  Ma- 
jor Gaona  was  very  severely  wounded,  and  I  assisted 
to  carry  him  home,  according  to  Childs'  orders, 
where  he  could  be  more  comfortable  than  in  prison. 
The  two  generals  were  confined  in  a  large  room  of 
the  palace,  and  I  frequently  had  command  of  the 
guard  which  was  k^pt  over  them.  The  soldiers  were 
all  confined  in  the  calaboose. 

General  Torrejon  was  a  fine  old  man,  and  used 
frequently  to  speak  to  me  while  I  was  on  guard, 
lie  was  one  of  the  bravest  generals  of  the  Mexican 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

army,  and  fought  on  nearly  every  bloody  field  dur- 
ing the  war.  He  was  provided  with  everything 
necessary  to  render  him  comfortable,  and  after  a 
time  was  released  from  captivity,  upon  giving -his 
word  of  honor  that  he  would  not  again  fight  against 
the  Americans  during  the  war,  unless  he  was  regu- 
larly exchanged.  He  retired  to  San  Martina,  where 
he  had  his  home,  and  rigorously  kept  his  word. 

General  Gaona  was  a  tall,  straight  old  fellow, 
and  looked  considerably  like  General  Butler.  He 
commanded  a  brigade,  I  believe,  at  the  battle  of 
San  Jacinto,  and  was  afterward  Governor  of  Pne- 
bla.  Upon  being  brought  into  the  palace,  the  old 
man  burst  into  tears,  and  on  being  questioned  as 
to  the  cause  replied:  "1  respect  the  Americans, 
they  are  a  brave  and  magnanimous  nation.  I  could 
have  been  taken  prisoner  by  them  without  a  mur- 
mur, but  I  have  been  captured  by  that  man,  (point- 
ing to  Dominguez.)  who  is  a  thief  and  a  robber 
and  whom  I  had  publicly  whipped  in  that  plaza 
for  robbery.  My  honor  is  gone — I  am  an  old  man 
and  shall  soon  die,  and  I  weep  to  think  that  my 
last  days  will  be  imbittered  by  the  reflection  that 
1  have  been  captured  in  this  war  by  that  infamous 
scoundrel  arid  traitor,  Dominguez." 

I  pitied  him,  as  he  seemed  to  be  filled  with  the 
most  poignant  grief.  lie  was  subsequently  released 
by  Col.  Childs,  and  the  circumstances  which  led  to 
it  will  be  given  hereafter. 

Dr.  Elisha  K.  Kane,  since  become  world-renowned 
by  his  efforts  in  the  Arctic  explorations,  was  at  that* 
time  a  surgeon  in  the  United  States  Navy,  and  as 
just  mentioned,  came  up  as  Ixx^'cr  of  dispatcher. 


224  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

He  was  a  young  man,  though  he  had  already  visited 
most  of  the  countries  of  the  earth,  and  made  friends 
of  all  whom  he  met  with.  There  was  always  a  spe- 
cies of  sneering  jealousy  between  the  regulars  and 
volunteers,  but  I  saw  none  of  it  in  Surgeon  Kane. 
This  remark  may  be  too  general,  as  there  were  nu- 
merous other  honorable  exceptions  —  among  these 
Scott,  Duncan,  Major  Lally,  Captains  Simmons  and 
Gatlin,  and  some  others. 

Dr.  Kane  remained  some  time  in  Puebla,  to  re- 
cover from  his  wound,  and  during  that  time  lived  at 
the  private  residence  of  General  Gaona,  in  the  city. 
His  treatment  was  of  the  most  friendly  character, 
and  the  general's  family  tried  by  every  means  in 
their  power  to  render  his  stay  as  agreeable  and 
pleasant  as  they  possibly  could.  Kane's  wound  was 
excessively  painful,  and  for  some  time  his  life  was 
despaired  of  on  account  of  it.  But  by  careful  treat- 
ment and  the  assiduous  attentions  of  a  kind  family, 
he  was  restored  to  perfect  health,  and  preserved  to 
be  instrumental  in  bringing  honor  upon  his  country 
by  his  brave  and  heroic  efforts  in  search  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  the  British  navigator. 


IX. 


New-year's  day  and  8th  of  January  celebration  —  Speeches,  toasts, 
etc.  —  Promoted  to  the  artillery  —  Capt.  Hermann  Kessler  —  Paint- 
ing and  Poetry  —  Lane's  Expedition  to  Tehuacan  —  Attempt  to 
capture  Santa  Anna  —  Night  march  —  Description  of  Orizaba 
valley  —  Cordova  —  Major  Wm.  H.  Polk  —  Amusing  anecdote  — 
Santa  Anna's  letter  —  New  troops  —  Lieut.  Wm.  L.  Crittenden 
shot  at  Havanna. 

ON  the  first  day  of  January,  1848,  the  soldiers  of 
our  company  had  a  splendid  dinner  at  the  officers' 
quarters.  We  gave  up  our  room,  which  was  a  large 
one,  to  them,  and  a  table  was  set  that  reached  the 
whole  length  of  it.  Sergeants  Lewis,  Harris,  Eg- 
bert, and  Soward  constituted  the  committee  of  ar- 
rangement, and  each  soldier  rendered  all  the  assist- 
ance, toward  getting  it  up,  that  lay  in  his  power. 
Col.  Gorman,  Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  Major  McCoy, 
our  company  officers,  and  Lieutenants  Lee  and  Mul- 
len, were  invited  to  attend  it.  The  dinner  wras  in 
every  way  creditable,  and  the  boys  were  highly 
delighted  with  their  entertainment. 

Balls,  fandangoes,  theaters  and  parties  served  to 
make  time  pass  awray  agreeably  enough,  though,  as 
a  soldier,  I  panted  for  some  opportunity  to  advance 
myself.  I  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  staying  in  my 
quarters  and  vegetating,  though  by  so  doing  I  might 
flourish  like  a  "green  bay  tree." 

C235) 


226  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

On  the  8th  of  January,  the  anniversary  of  the  bat- 
tle of  New  Orleans,  Col.  Cliilds  reviewed  the  troops. 
At  twelve  o'ck>ck,  M.,  all  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison 
appeared  on  the  Grand  Plaza,  in  clean  uniforms, 
with  arms  burnished  and  belts  whitened,  and  made 
a  grand  and  imposing  appearance.  Amid  the  heavy 
and  regular  tread  of  soldiers'  feet,  and  the  soul- 
thrilling  strains  of  martial  music,  one  might  well 
have  imagined  something  of  the  nature  of  the  event 
we  were  commemorating.  Childs  appeared  on  a 
heavy  gray  charger,  surrounded  by  a  brilliant  staff, 
and  rode  up  and  down  our  lines.  He  was  our  com- 
mander ;  but  we  should  have  felt  far  differently  if 
Joe  Lane  had  been  with  us.  Review  being  over,  the 
corps  marched  to  their  respective  quarters ;  and  in 
'the  afternoon  companies  C  and  K  gave  a  fine  dinner 
to  their  guests  and  themselves. 

There  were  a  number  of  officers  present,  and  tho 
whole  thing  was  conducted  in  the  best  possible  man- 
ner. Lieut. -Col.  Dimiont  made  a  neat  and  appro- 
priate speech,  from  which  I  make  only  one  short 
extract : 

"  You  too,  my  boys,"  said  he,  addressing  the  sol- 
diers, "have  witnessed  and  felt  war's  stern  realities. 
In  it  there  is  more  prose  than  poetry,  and  none 
know  it  better  than  you.  The  hardest  battle  that 
the  soldier  has  to  fight  is  a  bloodless  one.  It  burns 
no  gunpowder,  nor  is  the  din  of  conflict  heard.  The 
battle  of  which  I  speak  is  made  up  of  the  long  and 
fatiguing  march  ;  the  heat,  and  cold,  and  privations 
which  the  soldier  has  to  encounter.  Death  upon 
the  battle-field  has  no  terrors  ;  but  the  very  thought" 
of  death,  by  E!OW  and  lingering  disease.  u>  a  foreign 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  227 

land  and  among  strangers,  is  enough  to  rend  the 
stoutest  heart. 

"  In  four  well-fought  battles  have  you  been  en- 
gaged ;  you  have  seen  your  comrades  falling  all 
around  you ;  and  yet  what  are  they,  (I  mean  the 
battles.)  in  comparison  to  what  you  have  otherwise 
endured.  Ay,  and  that  too,  cheerfully,  manfully, 
without  a  murmur.  You  have  traversed  the  Father- 
of- waters  to  New  Orleans,  and  the  Parent-of-all- 
crooked-rivers  to  Mier ;  you  have  crossed  the  gulf 
twice  ;  you  have  traveled  on  foot  upward  of  five 
hundred  miles  ;  you  have  fought  the  battle  of  Hua- 
rnantla ;  raised  the  siege  of  Puebla,  and  again  met, 
fought,  and  vanquished  the  enemy  at  Atlixco  and 
Tlascala.  Side  by  side,  for  the  most  part,  with  Ohio 
and  Louisiana  volunteers,  you  have,  by  emulating 
them,  merited  the  esteem  of  your  county.  No  one 
better  than  you  can  bear  witness  to  the  gallantry  of 
Col.  Brough's  4th  Ohio,  and  to  that  of  the  Louisiana 
mounted  volunteers,  Captains  Lewis  and  Besancon. 
You  too,  witnessed  the  desperation  of  Walker's  men 
on  Iluamantla's  plains,  and,  after  the  conflict  was 
ended,  saw  them  weep  o%Ter  the  lifeless  clay  of  their 
fallen  chief.  You  have  since  seen  them  fight  as 
though  they  were  still  inspired  with  the  spirit  of 
their  departed  leader.  Long  will  it  be  before  the 
impressions  made  by  that  day  of  strife  will  be  effaced 
from  your  memories.  The  sun  never  rose  upon  a 
more  lovely  morning,  nor  shone  upon  men  more 
anxious  to  meet  a  foe  worthy  of  their  steel.  Well 
do  I  recollect  the  avidity  with  which  you  shouldered 
your  muskets,  and  took  up  the  line  of  march,  and 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

the  pain  it  gave  me  to  compel  some  sick  ones  to  stay 
behind. 

"  I  had  to  resort  to  compulsory  means,  for  no  en- 
treaties would  do ;  and  some  whom  I  actually  drove 
back,  as  I  thought,  reappeared  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  and  fought  with  the  desperation  of  the  tiger. 
After  the  excitement  of  the  battle  was  over,  they 
again  sunk,  and  you  carried  them  back  on  your 
shoulders.  One  had  crept  into  a  wagon  filled  with 
the  dead.  I  heard  his  groans,  took  him  out,  and 
placed  him  on  my  horse  behind  me.  He  fainted  and 
fell  to  the  ground.  He  was  with  difficulty  got  into 
camp ;  and  since  our  arrival  at  this  place  has  gone 
to  his  reward.  With  my  own  hand  I  planted  the 
stone  that  marks  his  resting-place.  He  was  a  poor 
obscure  boy,  but  Indiana  can  boast  of  no  nobler  dust." 

After  the  conclusion  of  Dumont's  speech,  the  boys 
fell  upon  the  provisions,  and  made  sad  havoc. 
There  were  fruits  of  every  variety  and  clime  on  the 
table  that  day,  and,  for  a  January  party,  comprised 
a  fair  collection — among  them  were  the  grape,  the 
orange,  the  pineapple,  the  banana,  peaches,  apples, 
pears,  plantains,  and  water-melons.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  the  feast,  a  number  of  toasts  were  drank — 
among  which  were  the  following : 

"To  Brigadier-General  Lane. — His  indomitable 
courage  and  untiring  energy  commands  our  greatest 
admiration.  May  he  be  rewarded  by  his  country- 
men as  his  merits  deserve,  and  may  the  foul  tongue 
of  calumny  never  tarnish  a  laurel  of  his  well-earned 
fame.  His  brilliant  and  successful  career  is  unsur- 
passed. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO  229 

"  The  American  Navy. — The  most  brilliant  arm 
of  our  national  defense." 

Then  there  were  cries  for  Doctor  Kane,  of  the 
navy,  who  was  present.  The  Doctor  arose,  and  was 
for  a  moment  embarrassed ;  but,  throwing  it  off,  in 
a  clear,  mellow  voice,  he  said  he  had  been  traveling 
all  his  life,  in  many  countries  and  in  every  clime; 
yet  he  had  never  before  beheld  such  a  spectacle — 
officers  and  men  so  intimately  associated,  so  far  from 
home,  in  celebrating  a  public  anniversary.  Really, 
they  were  freedom's  own  sons.  Such  was  the  beauty 
of  the  volunteer  service.  Neither  had  he  ever  seen 
a  more  abundant  and  sumptuous  feast  than  the  one 
of  which,  through  their  kind  invitation,  he  had  just 
partaken.  He  concluded  with  this  sentiment: 

"Volunteers. — Soldiers  when  requisite,  and  gen- 
tlemen always." 

By  Lieut. -Col.  Dumont. 

"  To  Colonel  Brough. — Brave  and  prudent.  The 
honor  of  Ohio  may  safely  be  intrusted  to  his 
keeping.'1 

Col.  Brough  rose  and  made  a  short  speech,  full 
of  humor  and  good  feeling.  He  delivered  himself 
handsomely,  interspersing  his  remarks  with  so  much 
wit  and  good  humor  as  to  be  frequently  interrupted 
by  peals  of  laughter. 

Majors  McCoy  and  Young;  Captains  Lander, 
Alexander,  and  Fitzgibbons ;  Lieutenants  Gary, 
Mills,  Hamilton,  and  McLean  ;  and  Messrs.  Steele, 
Forrester,  Cromlow,  Beamesdaffer  and  Cheek  —  all 
delivered  appropriate  sentiments. 

Col.  Gorman  made  a  short  speech,  full  of  interest, 
and  acquitted  himself  handsomely. 


230  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Vocal  and  instrumental  music,  with  the  aid  of 
certain  ominous-looking  black  bottles,  helped  to  ren- 
der the  party  quite  merry ;  and  it  was  rather  late 
when  the  entertainment  broke  up. 

I  know  not  who  cooked  on  this  occasion  ;  though 
1  believe  it  was  a  Frenchman,  who  kept  a  drinking* 
house  near  the  old  convent.  He  was  a  queer 
chicken;  and  one  night,  not  getting  up  out  of  bed 
as  quick  as  one  of  our  officers  wished  him  to,  the 
lieutenant  fired  through  the  window  and  came  near 
killing  both  the  Frenchman  and  his  wife.  It  was 
amusing  to  hear  Crapeau  give  an  account  of  the 
occurrence  ;  at  the  same  time  pointing  at  the  bullet- 
hole;  and  grinning  and  gesticulating  in  the  most 
savage  manner:  u  Sacre,"  said  he,  "ze  d — d  loot- 
nant  come  to  ze  vindow.  I  no  tink  noting.  He 
say — 'come  in.'  I  tink  noting  ag'in.  Bym-by,  he 
fire  de  pistil  —  I  see  de  bullet — den,  d — n  my  soul, 
den  I  tink  someting." 

In  the  month  of  January,  I  was  promoted  to  the 
artillery,  a  position  which  I  had  longed  for,  and  one 
which  I  received  mainly  through  the  influence  of 
Col.  Gorman.  I  quickly  donned  the  cross-cannons, 
artillery  buttons  and  red  stripe,  and  was  congratu- 
lated by  all  my  brother  officers  on  my  good  fortune. 
Others  had  been  promoted  before  me,  and  among 
the  rest  was  my  friend  Chris.  Graham,  who  was 
called  upon  to  support  the  dignity  of  a  captain. 
Sergeant  James  Thompson  was  also  promoted  as 
second  lieutenant,  giving  place  to  J.  Y.  Beame?daf- 
fer,  of  Co.  C,  as  orderly  sergeant.  Sergeant  John  E. 
Britton,  of  Co.  E,  was  also  promoted  to  a  second 
lieutenancy,  and  being  but  seventeen  years  old,  he. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO,  231 

became  quite  a  pet  under  the  name  of  "  Little  Brit." 
He  was  a  good  officer,  and  we  being  both  very  young 
were  afterward  quite  sociable. 

A  sad  accident  occurred  to  one  of  our  men  named 
Isaac  F.  Lytle,  sergeant  in  company  F,  one  day 
while  he  was  on  duty  at  the  calaboose.  He  had  a 
revolver  in  the  bosom  of  his  jacket,  and  by  some 
means  it  fell  out  on  the  hard  pavement  and  dis- 
charged itself,  shooting  him  through  the  foot  and 
causing  a  dreadful  wound.  His  leg  was  cut  off,  but 
he  was  too  weak,  and  the  poor  fellow  died  soon  after 
the  operation.  Landers  was  promoted  sergeant  in 
his  place. 

Another  man  of  company  E  had  his  leg  shot  off 
at  Fort  Lorretto,  and  died  in  consequence  of  it. 

I  had  a  little  dress  sword,  which  Lytle  had  cap- 
tured from  the  Mexicans,  and  which  the  colonel  had 
presented  to  me.  After  his  death  I  gave  it  to  Ser- 
geant Kramer  of  the  same  company,  who  gave  it  to 
his  father,  Captain  Francis  Lytle,  of  Columbus,  In- 
diana. Orderly  Sergeant  Wm. F.  Allen  was  promoted 
iirst  lieutenant  of  company  E,  in  Graham's  place. 

The  artillery  which  I  was  promoted  to  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Hermann  Kessler,  of  the  4th 
(3h  io  regiment,  and  the  men  were  half  Ohioans  and 
half  Indianians.  The  battery  consisted  of  two  pieces, 
one  twelve-pounder  howitzer,  and  one  six-pounder 
cannon,  with  caissons  and  horses  complete.  The 
men  and  guns  were  kept  in  a  building  opposite  to 
the  calaboose,  and  in  the  same  building  as  the 
palace.  Kessler's  and  my  own  quarters  were  in  the 
palace. 

In  Captain  Kessler  I  found  a  congenial  spirit,  one 


232  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

whose  tastes  and  impulses  were  the  same  as  my  own, 
and  the  brief  period  that  I  was  with  him  sufficed  to 
show  me  that  there  burned  within  his  breast  the 
fires  of  true  feeling  and  a  just  conception  of  the 
beautiful.  lie  had  an  artist's  eye,  and  was  never  so 
happy  as  when  engaged  with  his  pencil.  Some  of 
his  drawings  were  sent  home,  and  I  believe  engraved, 
though  I  never  as  yet  have  been  able  to  procure  any 
of  them.  His  designing  was  good,  and  the  talent 
evinced  by  his  draught  of  the  gold  medal  which  our 
brigade  presented  to  General  Lane,  elicited  the  ad- 
miration of  all.  On  one  side  of  the  medal  was  a 
wreath  of  laurel,  twining  around  near  the  rim,  on 
which  were  six  shields  of  differently  tinted  gold, 
and  on  each  one  of  these  was  the  name  of  a  battle 
in  which  Lane  had  been  engaged, — Buena  Vista, 
Huamantla,  El  Final,  Atlixco,  Puebla  and  Tlascala 
were  thus  inscribed,  and  inside  of  the  wreath  was 
Lane's  profile  likeness.  On  the  reverse  side  was  a 
view  of  the  entrance  of  our  troops  into  Puebla,  and 
an  inscription  that  the  medal  was  presented  to  Gen. 
Lane  by  the  officers  of  his  brigade,  as  a  testimonial 
of  their  appreciation  of  his  bravery,  etc. 

Captain  Hermann  Kessler  was  born  in  Dresden  in 
the  kingdom  of  Saxony,  in  the  year  1811,  of  very 
respectable  parents,  his  father  being  a  major  in  the 
Saxon  army.  He  was  educated  at  the  military  school 
in  his  native  city,  where  he  was  a  classmate  of 
Prince  Albert,  and,  after  graduating,  entered  the 
army  of  Saxony  as  a  second  lieutenant  of  horse- 
artillery.  He  served  most  of  his  time  at  the  fortress 
of  Koeuigstein,  in  studying  the  art  of  fortification 
and  field  engineering.  After  ten  years'  service,. ho 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  233 

resigned  his  commission  as  first  lieutenant,  came  to 
America,  and  settled  in  Pittsburgh,  where  he  lost  all 
his  property  and  drawings  by  a  fire,  in  the  year 
1843.  Leaving  Pittsburgh,  he  went  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  occupied  his  time  in  lithographing  until 
the  war  broke  out  with  Mexico,  when,  upon  the 
second  call  for  troops,  he  entered  Moore's  company 
as  first  lieutenant,  and  served  as  adjutant  of  the  4th 
Ohio  regiment  until  Moore  was  made  a  lieutenant- 
colonel,  when  Kessler  became  a  captain.  Being  the 
best  artillery  officer  in  the  brigade,  he  was  placed  in 
command  of  our  artillery,  and  I  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  be  his  first  lieutenant. 

We  painted  and  sketched  together,  and  from  him 
I  learned  artillery  tactics.  He  always  flattered  mo 
when  I  exhibited  my  drawings  to  him,  and  I  must 
admit  that  his  was  the  only  opinion  I  cared  one 
straw  about — he  was  an  artist — and  in  him  I  felt  a 
superior.  He  had  visited  the  great  picture  galleries 
of  Dresden — "the  German  Florence,"  and  basked  in 
the  sunshine  of  painting  and  inspiration.  He  grew 
eloquent  when  speaking  of  these  subjects,  and  a  tear 
would  sometimes  start  unbidden  to  his  eye,  as  his 
thoughts  wandered  back  to  his  home  and  earlier 
days  in  "Fatherland." 

1  had  some  taste  for  drawing,  and  once  received  a 
fine  compliment  from  one  of  America's  poets,  who 
resides  in  New  York,  and  who,  though  young,  has 
already  won  a  high  fame.  I  drew  a  picture  delineat- 
ing a  scene  from  one  of  his  poems,  and  in  return  he 
wrote  the  following : 
20 


234  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

From  the  Western  Literary  Messenger. 
SONNET 

OS  SEEING    A   PENCIL    SKETCH    OF    ALBERT    0.    BRACKETT,    A    YOUNG 
ABTI8T   OF    THE   AGE    OF   SIXTEEN. 

/  BY    W.    H.    C-    HOSMER. 

Young  Artist !  I  have  looked  upon  the  lines 
Traced  by  thy  pencil  with  supreme  delight, 
They  teach  me  that  thy  soul  is  clear  and  bright, 

A  fruitful  nursery  of  great  designs. 

Press  on  !  and,  like  the  masters  of  thine  art, 
Derive  from  nature  inspiration  strong  ; — 
The  gifted  painter  and  the  lord  of  song 

Must  worship  at  her  shrine  to  sway  the  heart. 

This  sketch  is  rich  in  promise  : — rock  and  tree — 
The  red  man  watching,  with  vindictive  glance, 
The  dread  flotilla  of  invading  France 
Ploughing  the  waters  of  an  inland  sea, 

Are  truthful  in  their  grouping,  and  proclaim 

That  toil  and  study  yet  will  make  thee  known  to  fame. 

I  was  full  of  poetry  then,  and  painting  too,  but 
the  Mexican  war  broke  out,  and  I  could  not  with- 
stand the  temptation  of  following  the  glorious  "stars 
and  stripes"  on  the  field  of  war!  The  consequence 
was,  the  world  had  one  poor  painter  the  less!  I  had 
even  visited  Neaglee's  studio  in  Philadelphia,  with 
the  intention  of  becoming  an  artist,  but  muskets  and 
bayonets  had  a  greater  charm  to  me  than  pencils 
and  paints,  and  I  was  not  long  in  finding  an  oppor* 
tunity  to  quench  my  burning  desire  for  glory.  Still, 
I  loved  my  pencil,  and  many  a  happy  hour  have  I 
spent  in  its  company. 

January  18th,  1848,  General  Lane  left  the  city  of 
Mexico,  with  four  companies  of  Texas  rangers  under 
Col.  Jack  Hays,  two  companies  of  the  3d  dragoons 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  235 

and  one  company  of  mounted  riflemen,  under  Major 
"Win.  H.  Polk,  on  a  secret  expedition  under  the 
especial  orders  of  Gen  Scott.  His  force  amounted 
to  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  20th  he  reached  Puebla.  Here  he 
was  reinforced  by  Lieut. -Col.  Dumont  of  our  regi- 
ment, and  Assistant-Surgeon  Browerwith  a  few  pri- 
vate soldiers  on  horseback.  Major  Young  and 
Captain  George  E.  Pugh,  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment, 
also  joined  the  expedition,  the  latter  serving  as  aid- 
de-camp  to  the  general.  After  dark  on  the  21st, 
Lane  left  Puebla  in  a  chilling  rain,  and  proceeded 
on  his  journey.  "  All  were  a  good  deal  surprised, 
the  evening  we  left  Puebla,"  says  one  of  the  party, 
"  to  find  themselves  on  the  National  or  Yera  Cruz 
road,  and  traveling  in  the  direction  of  the  latter  city; 
for,  so  far  as  conjecture  could  point  out  the  ultimate 
destination  of  the  expedition,  after  the  information 
in  relation  to  Rea's  head-quarters  at  Matamoros,  and 
the  guerrillas  being  in  the  neighborhood  of  Puebla, 
the  general  supposition  was  that  Rea  would  be  at- 
tacked, or  that  the  general  would  go  in  search  of  the 
guerrillas  reported  to  be  between  Puebla  and  Rio 
Frio,  off  the  road. 

"  It  was  raining  when  we  started,  and  for  some 
four  or  five  miles  of  the  road  the  night  was  intensely 
dark.  All  however  went  on  cheerfully;  for,  with 
Gen.  Lane  in  command  and  making  a  night  inarch, 
every  man  was  confident  that  some  object  worthy  of 
the  sacrifice  of  comfort  was  in  view.  When  wo 
arrived  at  Amasoque,  the  general,  leaving  the  Vera 
Cruz  and  Orizaba  roads  on  the  left,  took  a  road  en- 
tirely unknown  to  any  one  beside  himself  and  his 


238  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

guide.  For  a  time  it  was  broad  and  good;  but  after 
traveling  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  Amasoque, 
we  turned  into  a  track  but  little  better  than  a  mule- 
path,  and  for  about  eight  or  ten  miles  the  horses  had 
to  travel  over  a  bare  and  jagged  limestone  rock. 
The  horses  bore  it  admirably,  and  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning  we  took  up  our  quarters  at  a  hacienda 
near  the  village  of  Santa  Clara,  at  the  foot  of  a  range 
of  mountains,  after  having  accomplished  a  march 
of  over  forty  miles. 

"At  this  place  the  general  informed  the  officers 
that  his  immediate  object  was  to  capture  Santa 
Anna,  who  he  had  information  was  at  Tehuaean 
with  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  In  order 
that  the  Mexican  chieftain  might  not  obtain  inform- 
ation of  the  presence  of  our  troops  in  this"  section  of 
the  country,  the  general  ordered  every  Mexican  in 
the  hacienda  and  every  one  found  on  the  road  to  be 
arrested  and  kept  close  until  we  left  in  the  evening. 
The  order  was  strictly  enforced,  and  at  about  dusk 
the  march  for  Tehuaean,  distant  nearly  forty  miles, 
was  taken  up  in  the  full  hope  that  the  wily  Mexican 
would  soon  be  within  our  grasp. 

"Shortly  after  leaving  the  hacienda,  at  a  part  of 
the  road  where  it  ran  through  a  deep  and  narrow 
cut,  and  before  the  moon  rose,  the  general  and  his 
staff  came  upon  a  party  of  armed  Mexicans  before 
either  saw  the  other  at  the  distance  of  twenty  feet. 
The  Mexicans,  eight  in  number,  were  immediately 
disarmed;  but  in  the  rear  of  them  we  found  a  car- 
riage, from  which  stepped  a  Mexican  with  a  pass- 
port from  General  Smith,  to  travel  from  Mexico  to 
Orizaba  and  back,  with  an  escort  of  eight  armed 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  287 

servants.  This  being  discovered,  the  arms  were  of 
course  returned  and  the  cavalcade  permitted  to  go  on. 

"  Midway  between  the  hacienda  we  had  left  and 
this  place,  the  road  becomes  as  bare  and  uneven  a 
rock  as  it  was  a  part  of  the  previous  night.  The 
horses,  jaded  from  the  rapidity  with  which  we  had 
moved  the  whole  distance  from  Puebla,  gave  signs 
that  cautioned  their  riders  not  to  push  them  too 
hard;  and  the  consequence  was  the  command  did 
not  travel  with  the  celerity  the  general  had  designed 
— for  he  had  intended  that  the  forty  miles  between 
the  hacienda  and  Tehuacan  should  be  accomplished 
in  about  seven  hours,  and  that  he  should  arrive  there 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

"Within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  Tehuacan,  the  guide 
received  information  that  Santa  Anna  was  without 
doubt  at  that  place,  and  had  with  him  from  one 
hundred  to  two  hundred  men.  With  renewed  hope 
every  man  now  spurred  his  jaded  steed,  and  on  we 
went  quick  enough  until  within  five  miles  of  our 
goal,  where  a  halt  of  an  hour  was  made,  and  the 
plan  of  attack  and  capture  disclosed  by  the  general 
to  his  officers.  We  again  mounted  and  moved  for- 
ward—  orders  were  given  to  observe  the  strictest 
silence  during  the  remainder  of  the  march.  The 
order  was  obeyed  to  the  letter,  for  every  man  had  an, 
intense  anxiety  to  secure  the  prize  ahead. 

"  This  silent  march  over  such  a  country  as  we 
passed  through  was  impressive  indeed.  On  our  right 
was  a  precipice,  rising  immediately  from  the  road  to 
the  height  of  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three 
hundred  feet;  on  the  left  was  a  dense  chapparel, 


GEW.  LAKE'S  BKIOADE  is 

between  us  and  a  lofty  range  of  mountains,  through 
the  gorges  of  which  was  seen  occasionally  the  moon- 
lit snowy  peak  of  Orizaba — brilliant  but  black ;  and 
ahead  of  us  was  a  road  over  limestone  rock,  having 
a  dazzling  whiteness  from  the  moon's  rays  being  re- 
flected upon  it  directly  toward  us.  Amid  the  romance 
of  scenery,  the  suggestion  could  not  fail  to  present 
itself  that  we  were  only  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  strong;  that  we  were  from  eighty  to  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  reinforcements,  without  infantry  or 
artillery;  that  we  were  treading  a  part  of  the  coun- 
try which  never  before  knew  the  presence  of  Ameri- 
can arms,  and  that  the  enemy  might  have  had  notice 
of  our  advance  and  collected  a  formidable  force ;  but 
there  was  an  abiding  confidence  in  the  sagacity, 
skill  and  bravery  of  our  gallant  general . 

"At  dawn  of  day  we  were  within  half  a  mile  of 
Tehuacan.  The  report  of  a  solitary  gun  from  the 
town,  and  the  rapid  passage  of  lights  to  and  fro  in 
the  building  next  us,  gave  hope  that  the  bird  was 
about  to  be  caged,  and  sustained  the  expectation  of 
meeting  an  enemy.  As  the  command  came  to  the 
entrance  of  the  town,  the  dragoons  and  rifles  dashed 
to  the  right  and  left,  and  in  a  few  minutes  every 
outlet  was  stopped  ;  and  the  Texan  rangers  galloped 
ahead  toward  the  plaza  (public  square),  with  their 
revolvers  cocked,  glancing  warily  on  every  side,  with 
the  belief  and  hope  that  the  enemy  was  on  the 
house-tops.  The  rangers  in  the  plaza  formed  into 
squads,  and  galloped  through  every  street,  but  no 
enemy  was  to  be  found ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  we 
had  the  mortification  to  learn  that  the  great  object 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  289 

of  our  search  bad  fled  two  hours  before  we  arrived, 
and  had  taken  the  road  to  Oajaca  with  an  escort  of 
seventy-five  lancers. 

"  The  national  flags  hung  out  from  the  residences 
of  foreigners,  and  white  flags  suspended  from  the 
houses  of  the  Mexicans,  in  every  part  of  the  town, 
told  that  our  approach  was  known  in  advance ;  and  it 
was  with  chagrin  that  we  learned  that  the  Mexican, 
whose  coach  and  escort  we  stopped  shortly  after 
leaving  the  hacienda,  had  sent,  by  a  short  route 
across  the  mountains,  one  of  his  servants  to  commu- 
nicate to  Santa  Anna  that  American  troops  were  on 
the  road,  and  as  he  believed  with  the  view  of  cap- 
turing him. 

"  Had  it  not  been  for  the  treachery  on  the  part  of 
a  man  traveling  under  an  American  safeguard,  the 
surprise  would  have  been  complete.  The  guide,  a 
Mexican  whose  fidelity  had  been  proved,  after  meet- 
ing the  carriage,  was  uneasy  during  the  remainder 
of  the  march,  and  was  constantly  urging  Gen.  Lane 
to  press  the  command  forward  with  greater  rapidity; 
but  this  could  not  be  done  without  risking  the  loss 
of  the  men  and  horses  who  were  most  fatigued — a 
weighty  consideration  in  the  position  he  was  then 
in.  It  was  suggested,  on  arriving  in  town  and  find- 
ing that  Santa  Anna  had  fled,  to  press  fifty  or  a 
hundred  fresh  horses,  and  pursue  him  as  long  as 
there  was  a  prospect  of  finding  him ;  but  the  general 
wisely  argued  that  the  gentleman  was  alarmed,  and 
to  pursue  him  to  a  country  unknown  to  our  troops 
and  perfectly  known  to  the  enemy,  and  with  the 
possibility,  too,  that  the  enemy's  force  might  accu- 
mulate on  the  road  to  a  number  dangerous  to  so 


240  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

small  a  body  as  could  be  mounted,  would  be  seeking 
danger  with  scarcely  a  possibility  of  success  in  the 
grand  object. 

"  The  first  feeling  of  disappointment  having  in  a 
great  measure  passed  off,  the  public  buildings  and 
suspicious  private  dwellings  were  searched,  and  it 
was  a  meager  satisfaction  to  find  in  the  quarters  so 
recently  occupied  by  Santa  Anna,  a  part  of  his  best 
military  wardrobe,  two  of  his  costly  canes,  his  field 
glass,  and  three  trunks  containing  his  lady's  cloth- 
ing. This  served,  at  all  events,  to  show  the  chase 
•was  hot  and  the  departure  hasty.  His  military  pro- 
perty was  taken  as  legitimate  spoil,  and  the  trunks 
containing  his  wife's  clothing  were  turned  over  to 
the  alcalde.  A  receipt  was  taken  for  them,  and  a 
letter  addressed  to  her  illustrious  husband,  informing 
him  of  the  disposition  made  of  the  trunks,  and  ex- 
pressed regret  at  his  absence  on  the  occasion  of  ap- 
pearing in  his  quarters." 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  Lane  left  Tehuacan 
for  Orizaba,  and  stopped  that  evening  at  the  village 
of  Acalcingo,  situated  near  the  base  of  the  interven- 
ing mountains  between  that  village  and  Orizaba.  He 
entered  the  city  on  the  afternoon  of  January  25tb. 
For  a  description  of  the  valley  and  mountains  near 
Orizaba  I  am  indebted  to  an  officer  of  our  regiment. 
He  says : — "  The  best  part  of  the  state  of  Vera  Cruz, 
indeed  the  best  part  of  Mexico,  is  the  Orizaba  val- 
ley, in  the  midst  of  which  is  the  city  of  the  same 
name.  It  is  formed  by  two  rows  of  lofty  mountains, 
between  which  the  valley  reposes ;  the  highest  of  these 
is  the  snow-capped  peak  of  Orizaba.  In  looking 
'down  the  valley  from  the  road,  as  you  first  approach, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  241 

there  seems  to  be  no  space  between  the  mountains 
which  rear  their  lofty  fronts  on  either  side  of  it,  but 
as  I  have  before  said,  in  passing  down  the  valley, 
you  find  that  a  considerable  space  separates  many 
of  the  spurs,  forming  other  lateral  valleys  opening 
into  the  main  one,  like  so  many  tributary  streams 
pouring  their  waters  into  the  parent  river.  What 
the  length  of  it  is  I  do  not  know.  Entering  it  from 
the  west,  our  course  led  us  along  it  toward  the  east 
some  fifteen  miles,  and  I  found  it  of  peerless  beauty. 
Long  before  reaching  it,  we  had  ascended  a  lofty 
flight  of  mountains,  upon  the  top  of  which  we  had 
traveled  so  long  that  it  was  hard  to  realize  that  we 
were  still  upon  a  mountain  ;  we  rather  seemed  to  be 
passing  over  a  plain.  Suddenly  the  valley  opened 
to  our  vision,  and  there  we  stood  riveted  to  the  spot. 
We  gazed,  and  still  gazed,  for  we  were  bound  by  the 
charmer's  spell.  The  base  of  the  mountain  upon 
which  we  stood  seemed  to  be  the  source,  head,  or 
starting-place  of  the  valley.  Like  a  broad  and  ma- 
jestic river,  it  seemed  to  stretch  forth  from  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  and  after  winding  between  the 
mountains  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach ,  to  be  lost 
in  the  distance.  As  clear  as  the  atmosphere  in 
Mexico  is,  I  looked  in  vain  for  its  termination — 
between  it  and  me  the  horizon  intervened.  I  have 
said  that  we  were  charmed:  but  it  was  not  alone  by 
what  we  saw,  heard  or  felt — but  the  combined  influ- 
ences of  them  all.  It  was  morning!  The  golden 
tints  of  the  sun  were  beginning  to  penetrate  the 
clouds  that  were  hovering  over  the  valley  and  far 
below  us, — imparting  to  them  a  thousand  colors, 
hues  and  shades  of  rainbow  brightness;  and,  as 
21 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

though  willing  to  communicate  his  \varmth  and 
beauty  to  all  around,  the  sun  slowly  ascended  the 
mountain  side,  and  soon  caused  the  snows  of  Ori- 
zaba to  sparkle  and  glitter  like  diamonds.  The 
water  which  came  from  the  mountain  to  the  valley, 
also  attracted  our  attention.  The  position  we  occu- 
pied enabled  us  to  see  it  in  all  its  forms  and  shapes ; 
now  the  rapid  torrent — now  the  rushing  and  roaring 
cataract;  and  anon,  as  it  bounded  over  a  precipice 
into  the  valley  at  one  bold  leap,  the  proud  and  im- 
posing cascade ;  then  the  smooth  and  placid  stream, 
wending  its  way  through  green  meadows  and  shady 
groves,  and  mingling  its  low  soft  niurmurings  with 
the  whispering  winds.  When  we  afterward  descend- 
ed into  the  valley,  and  rode  along  its  banks,  we 
found  that  the  stream  contained  fish  of  many  differ- 
.ent  kinds,  hues  and  colors,  and  that  deer  and  ante- 
lopes, in  great  numbers,  visited  it  to  rest  upon  its 
downy  banks,  beneath  its  sylvan  shades,  and  to 
drink  of  its  limpid  waters.  Though  not  exceedingly 
wild,  still  at  our  approach  they  bounded  off. 

But  I  must  not  yet  quit  my  position  on  the 
mountain,  for  I  have  still  much  to  tell  of  what  I  saw 
from  the  spot  whence  we  first  caught  sight  of  the 
valley.  Every  one  who  has  ever  been  in  Mexico, 
or  heard  of  the  nation  of  "bell-ringers  and  throat- 
cutters"  will,  of  course,  know  that  I  saw  many 
churches,  but  they  will  not  know,  unless  I  tell  them, 
that  though  the  time  of  which  I  speak  was  the  25th 
of  January,  that  as  far  as  my  eye  could  reach,  green 
meadows  and  corn-fields,  orchards  and  groves  of 
delicious  fruit,  golden  wheat,  oats,  rye  and  barley- 
fields,  coffee,  potatos,  tobacco  —  in  short  everything 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  243 

that  grows  anywhere  was  to  be  seen.  At  one  glanco 
I  saw  a  wheat-field  ready  for  the  reaper's  scythe; 
another  just  springing  from  the  earth  in  fresh  and 
tender  beauty,  and  a  third  in  a  medium  state  between 
the  two.  Nor  was  it  thus  with  wheat  alone,  every- 
thing that  I  have  mentioned  could  be  seen  in  the 
green,  ripe,  and  ripening  stages.  I  saw  two  peach 
trees,  standing  side  by  side,  one  full  of  blushing 
fruit,  and  the  other  in  full  bloom.  Every  part  of 
the  valley  was  in  a  high  state  of  Mexican  cultivation 
and  improvement.  A  neat  cottage  here,  there  a 
hacienda  of  more  ample  bounds — yonder  a  sweet, 
clean  village  or  hamlet,  while  farther  in  the  distance 
could  be  discerned  the  spires,  domes  and  cupolas  of 
Orizaba,  a  city  of  some  thirty  thousand  inhabitants. 
Descending  at  length  from  the  mountains  into  the 
valley,  I  became  satisfied  that  it  is  not  always  that- 
distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view.  Distance 
may  hide  deformities,  but  can  add  no  charms  to 
beauty.  A  creation  of  art  from  an  accomplished 
hand,  suffers  not  from  close  and  repeated  inspection. 
The  devotee,  as  he  gazes  at  it,  will,  at  each  subse- 
quent examination,  discover  new  and  heretofore  hid- 
den beauties,  and  if  this  be  true  of  the  handyworks 
of  man,  why  not  of  the  works  of  nature's  great 
Architect  ? 

As  I  approached  those  objects  that  had  attracted 
my  attention  at  first,  I  found  the  reality  of  that  in 
which  I  had  feared  there  was  but  too  much  of  fancy, 
and  there  in  confirmation  of  the  illustration  that  I 
liave  already  attempted,  I  found  many  charming 
thing*  that  distance  had  at  first  prevented  me  from 
hearing  or  seeing.  The  shrubbery  and  flowers  which 


244  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

adorned  the  gardens  and  lawns  filled  the  air  with 
fragrance,  while  the  note  of  the  mocking-bird,  the 
caroling  of  the  canary,  the  chattering  of  the  parrot 
and  the  music  of  a  thousand  other  sweet  warblers, 
seemed  to  welcome  us  with  their  gleesome  and 
joyous  notes.  And  then  the  atmosphere — one  more 
soft  and  sweet  man  never  inhaled.  The  gentle 
breezes  which  fanned  my  temples  and  played  among 
my  locks,  seemed  to  have  first  visited  the  orange 
grove,  and  the  odor  which  it  bore  upon  its  wings 
proved  that  in  its  onward  flight — 

'' It  had  been  trifling  with  the  rose 

And  stooping  to  the  violet." 

If  in  traveling  in  this  valley  of  perpetual  summer, 
and  perennial  fruits  and  flowers,  you  chance  to  cast 
your  eyes  above  you,  the  snows  of  Orizaba  that 
meet  your  gaze,  cause  an  involuntary  shudder,  and 
an  argument  is  necessary  to  convince  yourself  that 
you  are  not  cold.  And  then  the  water  leaping  and 
tumbling  from  the  mountain  ;  the  wild  scream  of  the 
eagle  soaring  among  its  peaks  and  cliffs;  the  scream 
of  the  panther  and  yell  of  the  cougar  contrast  as 
strangely  with  the  heavenly  harmonies  of  the  valley, 
as  do  the  snow  and  ice  above  with  the  birds  and 
flowers  below. 

In  descending  the  mountain  thatwhich  mostattrac- 
ted  my  attention  was  a  village  built  in  the  side  of 
it.  Not  one  of  huts  and  shanties,  but  one  of  material 
no  less  substantial  than  stone,  neat,  massive  and 
strong.  It  seems  that  nature,  in  one  of  her  freaks, 
had  deemed  it  proper,  on  the  side  of  this  almost 
perpendicular  mountain,  to  leave  one  little  square 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  245 

platform  not  exceeding  four  acres  in  extent,  upon 
which  the  aborigines  thought  proper  to  build  this 
town ;  indeed,  for  aught  I  know,  it  was  left  with  the 
understanding,  at  the  time,  that  the  town  should 
be  built.  When  it  was  founded,  history  is  silent; 
but  it  is  now  a  tenantless  ruin,  and  from  its  appear- 
ance time  for  many  centuries  has  been  gnawing  upon 
it.  I  have,  or  should  have  said,  that  it  was  a  for- 
tified town ;  fortified  by  being  built  so  close  to  the 
perpendicular  hights  that  all  missiles  from  above 
must  pass  over;  the  steepness  of  the  hill  would 
prevent  all  approach  from  below.  How  the  inhabi- 
tants themselves  found  ingress  and  egress  I  know 
not,  unless  hoisted  up  and  let  down  by  means  of 
a  pulley." 

Upon  entering  Orizaba,  General  Lane  took  formal 
possession  of  it,  and  being  the  first  American  com- 
mander who  had  ever  visited  it,  he  appointed  a  full 
complement  of  governmental  officers,  as  follows,  viz: 
Major  "William  II.  Polk,  3d  dragoons,  civil  and 
military  governor;  Colonel  John  C.  Hays,  Texas 
rangers,  commander  of  the  troops;  Lieut. -Col.  E. 
Dumont,  4th  Indiana  volunteers,  attorney-general. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  General  Lane  visited 
the  city  of  Cordova,  distant  from  Orizaba  about 
twenty  miles,  taking  with  him  three  companies  of 
Texans  and  one  company  of  dragoons.  During  the 
march  Lane  fell  in  with  a  party  of  armed  Mexicans, 
and  after  a  short  conflict  they  fled,  "with  the  excep- 
tion of  one,  whom,"  says  Lane,  "Lieutenant-Colonel 
Dumont  of  the  4th  Indiana  volunteers  had  the  good 
fortune  to  overtake  and  kill.  In  this  connection  I 
take  pleasure  in  mentioning  Lieutenant  Runnels,  of 


246  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

the  Texas  rangers,  who  was  most  zealous  in  the 
pursuit  and  evidently  wounded  the  leader  of  the 
party." 

After  taking  possession  of  Cordova,  Lane  again 
left  it  upon  hearing  that  Col.  Bankhead,  of  the 
artillery,  was  on  his  way  thither  with  a  large  Ame- 
rican force.  Major  Win.  H.  Polk  continued  to  ex- 
ercise the  functions  of  governor  of  Orizaba,  until  tho 
morning  of  the  31st  of  January,  when  Lane  started 
back  to  Puebla. 

Major  Polk,  brother  to  the  lamented  James  K. 
Polk,  late  president  of  the  United  States,  was  born 
in  Maury  county,  Tennessee,  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1815.  After  attending  college  he  studied  law  with 
Gen.  Pillow,  and  was  subsequently  elected  to  the 
Legislature  of  his  native  State.  After  his  brother 
was  elected  president,  he  was  appointed  charge 
d'affaires  to  Naples,  and  served  in  that  capacity  two 
years.  Returning  home  he  was  appointed  a  major  in 
the  3d  regiment  of  dragoons,  and  as  such  joined  his 
regiment.  He  behaved  very  well  in  Mexico,  and 
since  his  return  home,  has  served  four  years  in  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  the  General  reached  the 
city  of  Puebla  having  been  absent  just  two  weeks. 
In  his  report  he  speaks  highly  of  his  officers,  among 
whom  were  Col.  Hays,  Lieut.  Col.  Dumont,  Majors 
Polk,  Trnett,  Chevallie  and  Young,  Captains  Crit- 
tenden  and  Pugh,  Lieutenants  Hays,  Butler,  Maney, 
Haslitt,  Doctors  Brower  and  Hunt,  and  Messrs  Mer- 
riweather  and  Scully. 

After  leaving  Puebla,  Lane  had  a  skirmish  with 
the  enemy  on  the  8th  of  February,  near  the  town  of 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  247 

San  Juan  de  Teotihuacan.  The  Mexicans  were 
under  Colonel  Manuel  Falcon.  Lane  ordered  Major 
Polk  to  attack  the  enemy  with  two  companies.  "My 
orders,"  says  he,  "were  executed  with  alacrity  and 
effect.  Seventeen  of  the  enemy  are  known  to  have 
been  killed — two  of  them  by  the  hand  of  Major 
Polk.  Lieutenant  Claiborne  displayed  his  usual 
intrepidity,  being  among  the  foremost  in  hot  pursuit 
and  ever  ready  to  assault  the  foe.  Lieutenant  Col- 
bert, of  the  Texas  rangers,  also  signally  exhibited 
much  coolness,  courage,  and  good  conduct.  Indeed, 
ever}'  officer  and  man  who  was  permitted  to  engage, 
showed  the  utmost  devotion  and  bravery,  and  ren- 
dered efficient  service." 

A  good  joke  occurred  on  the  return  march  from 
Orizaba,  which  I  will  "  give  to  you  as  'twas  told  to 
me." 

One  of  the  nights  we  traveled,  said  my  informant, 
was  a  most  shocking  cold  one,  and  we  found  that 
the  only  way  to  keep  the  spirits  up  was  to  pour  the 
spirits  down.  The  consequence  was  that  two  of  our 
number,  like  Tarn  O'Shanter,  got  most  gloriously 
drunk;  and  falling  from  their  horses,  alternately, 
kept  us  pretty  busy  in  picking  them  up.  At  length 
Major  C.  fell  from  his  horse,  and  the  fact  was  not 
announced  until  we  had  rode  some  three  or  four 
miles.  A  halt  was  then  called  and  some  half  dozen 
soldiers  sent  back  after  him,  and  supposing  that  it 
might  take  an  hour  before  they  rejoined  us,  we  all 
concluded  to  lie  down  and  take  a  snooze;  Captain 
C.,  still  pretty  drunk,  was  with  some  difficulty  safely 
landed  on  terra  firma,  and  soon  joined  in  the  general 
chorus.  The  soldiera  were  very  long  in  getting 


248  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

back  with  the  Major;  the  wind  blew  very  cold, 
and  the  Captain  awoke  considerably  sobered,  and 
inquired  the  cause  of  the  halt.  The  General  told 
him,  that  the  Major,  having  taken  a  little  too  much 
liquor,  had  fallen  from  his  horse,  and  that  he  had 
sent  back  after  him.  "A  d— — d  pretty  state  of 
avails,"  rejoined  the  Captain,  clinging  to  a  tree  that 
stood  near.  "  that  the  service  must  suffer,  and  decent 
and  sober  men  be  left  here,  to  freeze  for  such  a 
drunken  scamp.  I  am  nothing  but  a  Captain, 
General,  but  I  must  remonstrate  against  it."  The 
General  told  him  that  it  was  bad,  but  that  misfor- 
tunes would  happen  to  the  best  of  families,  and  with 
great  difficulty  got  the  Captain  to  consent  to  wait. 
He  did,  however,  at  length  consent,  saying  that  the 
Major  was  too  clever  a  fellow  to  leave  behind,  and 
that  as  soon  as  he  got  sober,  he  would  have  a  serious 
talk  with  him,  and  tell  him  plainly  his  opinion  of 
such  conduct.  Then  it  was  that  roars,  peals  and 
volumes  of  laughter  prevented  the  Captain  from 
proceeding  farther  in  his  remarks. — The  Major  (and 
really  a  better  or  more  gentlemanly  man,  I  have 
seldom  met)  was  soon  up,  and  we  again  upon  the 
saddle,  over  the  hills  and  far  away. 

General  Santa  Anna  did  not  relish  Lane's  descent 
upon  Tehuacan  at  all,  and  sent  a  very  lachrymose 
letter  to  the  Mexican  Minister  of  War,  giving  an 
account  of  his  grievances.  He  called  for  a  passport 
to  get  out  of  the  country,  which  being  granted  to 
him,  he  went  down  to  Jalapa  and  was  escorted  from 
thence  to  Antaigua,  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  a 
body  of  American  soldiers,  and  there  taking  a 
Bteainer  went  to  the  West  Indies. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  249 

I  give  his  letter  respecting  General  Lane's  expe- 
dition entire,  so  that  the  reader  may  have  the  benefit 
of  each  side: 

Cascatlan,  Feb.  1st,  1848. 

"Mosx  EXCELLENT  SIR: — At  Tehuacan  I  was  pre- 
paring a  note,  to  be  forwarded  to  your  excellency, 
when  the  people  were  suddenly  invaded,  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  25th  ult.,  by  four  hundred  dragoons 
of  the  enemy  under  command  of  Gen.  Lane.  They 
came  from  Mexico,  and  by  the  express  order  of  Gen. 
Scott,  to  take  possession  of  my  person  in  some  way 
or  other.  Gen.  Lane,  by  hurried  marches  and 
journeying  by  night,  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
vicinity  of  Tehuacan  without  being  perceived.  For- 
tunately, however,  I  was  informed  of  his  approach 
two  hours  before  he  came,  and  thus  was  safe  from 
his  clutches  with  my  family;  and  with  a  small  escort 
which  accompanied  me,  I  took  refuge  in  the  town 
of  Teotitlan  del  Camiro,  where  there  was  a  force 
from  the  State  of  Oajaca.  My  persecutors  forced 
open  the  doors  of  my  habitation,  and  searched  for 
me  with  extraordinary  activity,  extending  their 
search  to  different  houses  of  the  place.  The  greater 
part  of  my  equipage  was  destroyed  by  the  invading 
soldiers,  and  their  chiefs  took  my  wrought  silver 
plate,  two  canes,  a  new  uniform,  and  other  things  of 
less  value,  as  I  have  been  informed. 

"After  two  days  General  Lane  proceeded  to  Ori- 
zaba, where  he  remains,  having  left  no  very  favorable 
recollection  of  himself  in  Tehuacan.  I  left  for  this 
place  in  order  to  look  about  me  and  see  whither  I 
shall  go  and  place  myself  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
enemy,  now  that  I  cannot  fight  against  them,  on 


250  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  ra 

account  of  the  mournful  condition  to  which  I  have 
been  reduced  by  the  Government,  which  ordered 
that  I  should  throw  aside  my  arms.  I  am  sensible 
that  spurious  Mexicans  and  the  invaders  persecute 
me  at  the  same  time — the  one  calling  me  a  trait  or ^ 
and  the  other  the  only  obstacle  to  the  negotiation  of 
peace.  Fatal  position  in  which  I  have  been  placed 
by  the  injustice  of  my  fellow-citizens. 

"When  I  shall  have  found  an  asylum  which  offers 
sufficient  security  I  shall  make  it  known  to  your 
Excellency,  for  the  information  of  the  First  Magis- 
trate of  the  Republic,  in  compliance  with  my  duty. 

"  Receive  the  consideration  of  my  particular 
esteem.  God  aud  Liberty. 

"ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA. 
"To  his  Excellency  the  Minister  of  "War." 

On  the  10th  of  January  Brig. -Gen.  Thomas  F. 
Marshall  arrived  in  Puebla,  with  a  body  of  U.  S. 
troops  on  his  way  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  His  com- 
mand consisted  of  the  3d  Tennessee  regiment,  the 
Georgia  cavalry  battalion  under  Lieut.  Col.  Calhoun, 
afterward  governor  of  New  Mexico,  a  battalion  of 
recruits  under  Major  Morris,  and  another  battalion 
under  Lieut.  Col.  Miles  of  the  5th  infantry.  Gen. 
Marshall  rode  through  the  streets  of  Puebla  in  full 
uniform,  to  the  no  small  astonishment  of  a  gaping 
crowd  of  Mexicans  who  followed  him  round  the  city, 
thinking,  no  doubt,  that  he  was  in  fact  the  supreme 
head  of  the  Americans.  Marshall  was  the  cnly 
man  I  ever  saw  in  Mexico,  in  full  uniform,  by  which 
I  mean  cocked-hat,  feathers  and  epaulets.  All  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  251 

officers  wore  what  is  called  the  undress  uniform,  con- 
sisting of  a  blue  frock  coat,  blue  pants,  and  blue 
cloth  cap. 

The  day  after  Marshall's  arrival,  Major-General 
Twiggs  and  Brigadier-General  Franklin  Pierce,  the 
present  president  of  the  United  States,  also  arrived 
in  Puebla.  They  came  down  from  the  city  of 
Mexico,  on  their  way  to  Yera  Cruz,  from  whence 
Gen.  Pierce  returned  home. 

About  the  time  that  Twiggs  and  Pierce  reached 
Puebla,  a  young  officer  joined  our  Brigade  whose 
name  was  William  L.  Crittenden,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  at  that  time 
a  second  lieutenant  in  the  1st  regiment  of  infantry. 
This  young  man  resigned  his  commission  in  the- 
Army  on  the  1st  of  March  1849,  and  joined  the  ill- 
fated  Cuban  expedition,  under  General  Lopez.  He 
commanded  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  what  was  called 
the  artillery  battalion,  and  with  fifty  of  "bis  comrades 
was  shot  at  Havanna  on  the  16th  of  August,  1851. 
When  brought  out  to  be  killed  he  was  told  by  a 
Spanish  officer  to  kneel.  His  reply  has  rendered 
his  name  immortal,  "  An  American,"  said  he, 
"kneels  to  none  but  God,  and  always  faces  the 
enemy."  A  volley  of  musketry  followed,  and  his 
body  fell  a  lump  of  clay!  lie  was  a  misguided 
man,  though  a  more  chivalrous  soul  never  had  life. 

I  have  always  regretted  the  fate  of  the  Cuban 
Patriots,  though  I  could  not  uphold  their  designs 
upon  "the  gem  of  the  Antilles."  Quite  a  number 
of  our  men  were  engaged  in  the  enterprise,  some 
of  whom  were  killed.  One  of  the  captains  of  our 


252         GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN  MEXICO. 

brigade  commanded  a  company  in  the  first  expedi- 
tion, and  was  fortunate  enough  to  escape  with  his  life, 
though  as  he  expressed  it,  k'he  was  a  little  pressed 
for  time,  when  he  went  off  to  the  steamer."  Cuba 
is  a  most  enchanting  place,  and  I  hope  she  may  yet 
be  added  to  the  Union  by  fair  and  honorable 
means. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Capture  of  guerrillas — Hanging  them — Stampede  among  the 
Mexicans — Childs'  letter  to  General  Gaona,  and  reply — General 
Lane's  expedition  to  Sequalteplan — Defeat  of  Padre  Jarauta — 
Capt.  Kessler  killed — San  Martin's — Recovery  of  dead  bodies — 
Lieut.-Col.  Augustus  Moore — Carnival — Ordered  to  Napalou- 
can—  Regiment  marches  out  of  Puebla — Amasoque. 

ON  the  4th  of  February,  a  Mexican  guerrilla  force 
was  reported  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Puebla. 
Lieut.  Lilly  immediately  set  out  in  pursuit  of  them, 
with  his  company  of  Louisiana  cavalry,  and  corning 
up  with  them,  between  Puebla  and  Arnasoque,  a 
severe  skirmish  ensued.  I  was,  with  a  number  of 
other  officers,  in  the  steeple  of  the  cathedral,  and 
from  thence  had  a  full  view  of  the  fight,  which  was 
going  on  some  four  or  five  miles  distant.  The 
Mexicans  gave  way  after  one  or  two  rounds  ;  and  I 
could  see  the  Louisiana  boys  pouring  their  fire  into 
the  scoundrels,  who  fled  in  all  directions.  Fifteen 
of  the  enemy  were  killed,  and  the  remainder,  with 
their  horses,  arms,  and  acconterments,  captured. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  guerrillas  were 
robbers  in  time  of  peace ;  and  were  much  dreaded 
by  the  Mexicans  themselves,  as  their  only  object 
was  plunder  and  murder;  and  whether  they  fell  upon 
friend  or  foe,  all  fared  alike.  They  sometimes  at- 
tacked haciendas  of  their  own  unoffending  country  - 

(253) 


254:  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m 

men,  and  after  butchering  the  inhabitants,  rifled  the 
place  of  its  content*.  They  lived  by  robbery,  and 
previous  to  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  Ameri- 
can troops,  had  never  received  any  serious  check. 
The  Mexicans,  as  well  as  ourselves,  were  glad  to  see 
them  brought  in  prisoners,  and  they  were  lodged  for 
safe-keeping  in  the  calaboose. 

Three  guerrillas  were  tried  by  a  council  of  war, 
and  having  been  found  guilty  of  murder,  they  were 
sentenced  to  be  hung,  according  to  the  orders  which 
we  had  received  from  General  Scott,  under  date  of 
December  12,  1847.  Col.  Childs  approved  of  the 
sentence,  and  they  were  ordered  to  be  hung  on  the 
Sth  day  of  February. 

Gen.  Rea,  the  guerrilla  chief,  hearing  what  was 
going  on  in  the  city,  sent  word  to  Col.  Childs,  that 
if  he  attempted  to  hang  the  men  he  would  come  in 
and  put  all  the  American  garrison  to  death.  Childs 
sent  word  back  to  him,  to  come  in,  as  nothing  would 
afford  him  greater  pleasure  than  to  give  his  guer- 
rillas a  good  dressing. 

On  the  morning  of  February  Sth,  the  4th  Indiana 
regiment,  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  three  companies 
of  the  5th  Ohio  regiment,  and  a  battalion  of  artillery 
serving  as  infantry  were  drawn  up  inside  of  the 
plaza,  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  square,  with  a  gallowa 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  three  culprits  in  the 
center.  A  sufficient  guard  was  left  at  the  different 
regimental  quarters  to  protect  them  in  case  of  an 
attack.  Our  battery  of  artillery,  under  Captain 
Kessler,  was  stationed  in  the  street,  in  front  of  the 
palace,  and  so  pointed  as  to  sweep  the  street,  it 
necessary.  I  was  not  on  duty  with  the  artillery ;  but 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  255 

was  ordered — in  company  with  Capt.  Graham,  Lieut. 
Lewis,  and  the  provost  marshal — to  go  into  the  cala- 
boose, and  escort  the  prisoners  to  the  scaffold.  We 
went  into  the  room  where  they  were  confined,  and 
there  found  six  Catholic  priests  going  through  their 
ceremonies,  and  administering  extreme  unction  to 
the  imfortunate  criminals.  It  was  a  sad  sight,  and 
one  which  I  never  wish  to  look  upon  again.  After 
the  ceremonies  were  concluded,  the  priests  put  white 
robes  and  white  caps  upon  the  prisoners ;  and  two 
priests  took  hold  of  the  arms  of  each  of  the  prison- 
ers and  led  them  out  of  the  prison,  through  a  strong 
guard  of  American  soldiers,  into  the  plaza.  Graham 
was  with  one  of  them,  Lewis  with  another,  and  my- 
self with  the  third.  After  getting  them  inside  the 
plaza  I  returned  to  the  palace,  and  went  out  on  a 
balcony  up  stairs,  overlooking  the  whole  scene.  The 
whole  space  was  crowded  with  the  Mexican  popu- 
lace, who  had  assembled  to  witness  the  execution. 
It  was  a  still,  awful,  and  imposing  spectacle.  The 
prisoners  mounted  upon  the  platform  of  the  scaffold; 
while  the  priests,  below  them,  were  saying  prayers 
in  the  most  vehement  manner.  At  a  given  signal, 
Sergeant  Britton  knocked  the  stick  which  supported 
the  platform  out,  and  the  three  guerrillas  were 
launched  into  eternity. 

As  they  swung  off,  a  voice  from  the  cathedral  was 

heard,  shouting  in  loud  Spanish — "Kill  the  d d 

Yankees !  Butcher  them ! "  and  away  the  whole 
body  of  Mexicans  started,  running  as  though  their 
lives  depended  upon  it.  There  must  have  been  fif- 
teen thousand  of  them — men,  women  and  children — 
and  the  way  they  scampered  out  of  the  plaza  was 


256  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

rather  singular.  What  was  strange,  there  was  no 
hallooing  or  talking ;  a  silent  panic  seeming  to  have 
come  over  the  whole  multitude. 

Our  soldiers,  thinking  that  Rea  was  upon  them, 
were  ordered  to  load  their  muskets  with  ball  car- 
tridge ;  and  the  sound  of  the  springing  of  rammers 
was  almost  lost  in  the  pattering  of  feet  upon  the 
hard  pavements.  Captain  Kessler  had  kept  his  slow 
matches  burning  in  the  linstocks,  ready  for  instant 
action  ;  and  thinking  the  time  had  now  arrived,  the 
cannon  were  made  read}'  to  be  fired  immediately. 
But  Gen.  Rea  did  not  make  his  appearance  ;  and  in 
a  short  time  the  plaza,  which  but  a  few  moments 
before  only  contained  American  soldiers  and  the 
three  hanging  guerrillas,  was  again  filled  with  the 
Mexican  population. 

It  was  an  exciting  scene,  and  one  which  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  those  who  witnessed  it.  The  Catho- 
lic priests,  during  the  excitement,  forgot  their  reli- 
gious duties ;  and  intent  only  on  saving  their  own 
lives,  rushed  through  the  American  lines,  and  ran 
with  all  possible  speed  for  the  shelter  of  the  cathe- 
dral, leaving  their  gold  crucifixes  lying  on  the  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  scaffold. 

After  the  bodies  had  been  hung  some  time,  they 
were  cut  down  and  delivered  over  to  their  friends  ; 
and  the  soldiers  marched  off  to  their  quarters.  It 
was  a  new  thing  for  the  Mexicans  to  see  a  man 
hung;  and  for  several  days  afterward  nothing  else 
was  talked  about  by  them.  Dolorous  ditties,  re- 
specting the  three  deceased  individuals,  were  also 
hawked  about  the  streets;  and  a  great  attempt  was 
made  to  excite  the  people  to  revolt  against  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  257 

Americana.  We  took  the  matter  very  calmly,  and 
felt  ready  and  willing  to  give  them  a  good  beating 
whenever  they  thought  they  needed  it. 

An  attempt  at  insurrection  was  discovered  by 
Col.  Child s,  and  a  young  man,  (the  leader,)  was 
arrested  and  confined  by  his  order.  He  had  been 
corresponding  with  General  Rea  for  some  time,  and 
being  caught  and  caged,  gave  us  no  further  trouble. 
He  was  evidently  a  fellow  of  some  consequence,  and 
frequently  invited  me  to  walk  into  his  room,  and  sit 
down  with  him  while  he  was  a  prisoner.  His  sis- 
ters, (two  beautiful  young  ladies,)  often  came  into 
the  palace  in  the  evening,  to  bring  him  food  and 
other  little  delicacies,  to  render  his  captivity  agree- 
able. He  had  a  large  room  in  the  palace,  and  with 
his  cigar  and  guitar,  took  matters  very  coolly.  He 
had  good  musical  taste,  and  frequently  sang  with 
his  sisters.  I  never  knew  what  ultimately  became 
of  him,  though  I  think  be  was  released  by  Colonel 
Childs. 

Colonel  Childs  suffered  General  Torrejon  to  re- 
tire to  San  Martin's  on  his  parole  of  honor,  and 
unconditionally  released  Gen.  Gaona  and  Major 
Gaona  from  confinement — the  cause  which  led  him 
to  do  so,  will  be  fully  understood  by  reading  the  fol- 
lowing correspondence. 

"  OFFICE  OF  THE  CIVIL  AND  MILITAEY  GOVEBNOB, 

"  Puebla,  February  9th,  1848. 

"GENEEAL: — For  more  than  thirty  days  I  have 
been  an  eye-witness  to  the  kind  an  affectionate  treat- 
ment of  yourself  and  family  to  Surgeon  Kane,  of 
the  United  States  navy,  bearer  of  dispatches  to  tho 
22 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

gen eral-in -chief.  In  the  name  of  the  general-in- 
chief  of  the  American  Army,  and  especially  in  the 
name  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  to  whose  arm  of  the  service  this 
officer  more  particularly  belongs,  I  give  you  my  most 
sincere  thanks. 

.  "  It  appears  that  Dr.  Kane  of  the  United  States 
navy,  \vas  marching  under  an  escort  of  a  native  spy 
company,  when  a  detachment  of  Mexican  lancers, 
who  were  escorting  you,  fell  in  with  said  company — 
when  a  fight  immediately  ensued,  resulting  in  the 
capture  of  several  Mexican  officers — yourself  and 
son,  Major  Gaona,  were  of  the  number  of  captives, 
the  latter  severely,  and  for  .a  time  considered  mor- 
tally wounded,  possibly  by  the  hand  of  the  officer 
to  whom  you  have  extended  such  noble  hospitality. 
It  further  appears  that  this  officer,  after  the  excite- 
ment of  the  battle  was  over,  and  you  and  your  com- 
rades were  prisoners  of  war,  interposed  his  person 
to  save  the  lives  of  the  captured  officers ;  that  in 
doing  so,  he  received  from  one  of  the  spy  company 
a  severe  wound  in  the  side  from  the  butt  of  a  lance; 
that  blow,  together  with  the  excessive  fatigue,  pro- 
duced the  sickness  that  came  so  near  terminating  his 
earthly  career ;  that,  while  smarting  under  the  cir- 
cumstances that  occasioned  your  capture,  and,  as 
was  feared,  a  mortal  wound  to  your  son,  and  you, 
at  the  same  time  a  close  prisoner,  insisted  on  Dr. 
Kane  being  taken  to  your  house,  where  he  was 
attended  by  your  amiable  wife  and  daughters,  with 
all  the  affection  that  parental  kindness  and  sisterly 
love  could  dictate.  To  this  assiduous  attention, 
smiled  upon  by  a  kind  Providence,  Dr.  Kane  is 


CENTEAL  MEXICO.  259 

indebted  to  the  pleasing  anticipation  of  speedily 
being  restored  to  the  service  of  his  country,  and  to 
the  arms  of  an  affectionate  family. 

"For  this  noble  and  magnanimous  conduct  on  your 
part,  I  know  that  I  but  faintly  meet  responses  of  the 
general-in-chief,  and  of  the  government  of  my 
country,  when  I  say,  that  yourself  and  son  are  re- 
leased from  your  paroles,  unconditionally,  and  are 
at  liberty  to  remain  in  Puebla,  or  to  go  wherever 
else  it  may  be  your  pleasure. 

"As  the  commander  of  the  Department  of  Puebla, 
I  tender  my  personal  thanks,  consideration  and 
esteem,  and  have  the  honor  to  be 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant 

"  THOMAS  CHILDS, 

"Col.  U.S.A.,  Commanding  Dep'ment  of  Puebla. 
"  To  BRIG. -GEN.  ANTONIO  GAONA, 
Mexican  Army,  Puebla." 


ANSWER.      (Translation.') 

Puebla,  February  12th,  1848. 

"COLONEL: — In  due  reply  to  your  very  attentive 
and  favorable  note  under  date  of  the  9th  instant,  I 
must  say  that  when  I  opened  my  habitation  to  Dr. 
Kane,  and  rendered  him  that  assistance,  which  the 
lamentable  state  of  his  interesting  health  demanded, 
I  did  nothing  more  than  comply  with  the  duties  pre- 
scribed by  hospitality  and  gratitude;  because  I  shall 
always  acknowledge  the  singular  favor  conferred  upon 
ine  and  my  companions  by  the  Doctor,  in  saving 
our  lives,  when  the  escort,  who  took  tis  prisoners, 
threatened  us  with  death. 


260  GEN.    LANE'S  BKIGADE  IN 

"I  proffer  a  thousand  thanks  to  divine  Providence 
for  having  saved  the  life  of  the  highly  recommend- 
able  Dr.  Kane;  for  had  its  influence  been  a  contrary 
one,  it  would  have  been  a  fatal  blow,  sensibly  felt 
by  myself  and  my  family — while  we  are  now  enjoy- 
ing the  satisfaction  to  know,  that  he  will  shortly 
have  the  pleasure  to  embrace  his  virtuous  family,  as 
you  intimate,  and  to  incorporate  himself  with  the 
service  of  his  country,  with  the  former  utility  of  his 
avocations,  and  which,  as  may  be  expected,  his 
nation  will  ever  recognize,  with  the  same  solemn 
feeling  that  I  entertain  for  the  person  of  the  Doctor; 
and  this  is  not  less  than  that,  which  I  harbor  for  the 
general-in -chief  and  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  for  the  distinguished  favor  which  the  gene- 
rosity of  the  two  last  have,  without  example,  deemed 
proper  to  honor  me  with.  At  the  same  time  I  tender 
yon,  with  the  most  prolific  effusion  of  my  heart,  my 
most  expressive  thanks  for  your  mediation  in  this 
matter,  which  latter  I  again  request  to  acknowledge 
my  sincere  gratitude  to  their  Excellencies  (the  gen- 
eral-in-chief  and  the  U.  S.  Government),  as  well  as 
to  the  illustrious  corps  of  officers  of  this  garrison, 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  many  kindnesses  and 
wherefore  I  put  rny  person  and  services  at  their  dis- 
posal. I  express  to  you  especially  and  with  pleasure, 
my  most  affectionate  regards,  with  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  call  myself 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  "  ANTONIO  GAONA. 

"To  THOMAS  CHILPS,  Col.  of  the  Army  of  U.  S.  of 

the  North,  and  Commander  of  the  Pepartment  of 

Puebla." 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  261 

The  Mexican  officers  whom  we  had  taken  prisoners 
were  very  gentlemanly  men,  and  messed  and  lived 
with  us  in  great  apparent  friendship,  which  I  suppose 
was  sincere,  as  I  know  we  felt  no  personal  animosity 
toward  any  of  them.  They  had  a  high  estimate  of 
the  bravery  of  our  soldiers,  and  evinced  the  greatest 
astonishment  at  seeing  our  private  soldiers  read  and 
write  fluently.  I  told  General  Torrejon,  one  day,  that 
there  was  not  a  soldier  in  my  company  but  could 
read  and  write  as  wrell  as  I  could  myself.  He  seemed 
to  look  upon  me  with  incredulity  and  thought  it  im- 
possible that  such  could  be  the  case.  I  had  told  the 
old  general  the  truth,  and  cannot  nowr  remember  a 
man  in  the  company  but  was  a  fair  scholar,  and  a 
number  of  them  had  fine  educations.  In  truth,  I 
often  regretted  that  some  of  our  men  were  not 
officers,  in  place  of  some  who  served  in  that  capacity 
in  our  brigade. 

The  officers  of  the  Mexican  army  were  all  clever 
fellows,  and  one  young  lieutenant  named  Miguel 
Lopez,  whom  I  became  acquainted  with,  was  a  noble- 
hearted  man.  He  was  not  a  prisoner,  but  lived  with 
his  father  in  Puebla — his  regiment  having  been  cut 
to  pieces  and  disbanded.  I  frequently  had  long  con- 
versations with  him,  respecting  the  United  States, 
and  from  him  obtained  much  information  respecting 
the  Republic  of  Mexico.  He  was  a  perfect  gentle- 
man, and  seemed  fond  of  my  company.  The  Mexi- 
can soldiers  were  respectful  to  our  officers,  and 
except  in  one  instance  never  disobeyed  my  orders. 
This  occurred  one  evening  when  the  chief  of  the 
Mexican  police  attempted  to  pass  one  of  my  senti- 
nels '  without  halting.  I  brought  him  to  his  senses 


262  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

with  a  musket  ball,  and  sent  him  home  rather  chop- 
fallen. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  1848,  Gen.  Lane 
had  another  fight  with  the  guerrillas,  and  not  being 
in  the  skirmish  myself  I  will  give  his  account  of  it, 
as  reported  to  the  commander  of  our  forces,  who  was 
at  that  time  Major-General  William  O.  Butler,  he 
having  taken  command  of  the  American  forces  by 
the  express  desire  of  Major-General  Scott,  on  the 
19th  of  February,  1848. 

"  Mexico,  March  U,  1848. 

"SiR — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  for  the  infor- 
mation and  consideration  of  the  commander-in-chief, 
the  following  report  of  the  late  expedition  of  the 
mounted  troops  under  my  command  against  the 
guerrillas  infesting  the  country  north  and  northeast 
of  this  city. 

"  In  obedience  to  my  instructions,  I  left  this  city 
on  the  17th  of  February,  with  250  Texan  rangers 
under  command  of  Col.  Hays ;  130  men  of  the  3d 
dragoons  and  rifles,  commanded  by  Maj.  Polk;  and 
the  company  of  contra-guerrillas  of  Col.  Dominguez, 
"for  the  purpose  of  scouring  the  mountainous  country 
north  of  Rio  Frio.  I  followed  the  main  road  leading 
to  Vera  Cruz,  as  far  as  the  hacienda  of  San  Felipe ; 
and  returning  from  thence  several  miles,  I  deflected 
to  the  right  in  the  direction  of  Tulancingo — in  which 
place,  from  reliable  information,  I  had  reason  to 
believe  I  should  find  General  Paredes,  as  also 
Almonte,  and  the  famous  guerrilla  chief  Padre 
Jarauta,  with  a  considerable  force.  I  arrived  at  Tu- 
lanciugo  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  and  attempted, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  263 

by  a  rapid  movement  of  a  small  portion  of  my 
force,  to  surprise  the  town;  but  information  had  pre- 
ceded me,  and  all  the  force  of  the  enemy  left  in  con- 
sequence— Jarauta  having  left  three  days  before. 
General  Paredes  alone  remained  and  escaped  by  a 
mere  miracle,  and  our  ignorance  of  the  localities  of 
the  place.  To  his  family,  which  remained,  and  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  the  utmost  courtesy  and 
protection  was  afforded,  as  far  as  it  was  within  the 
power  of  my  officers. 

"Early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  Major  Polk, 
with  a  small  detachment  of  his  command,  proceeded 
to  a  large  hacienda,  about  a  league  distant  from 
Tulancingo,  where  Gen.  Paredes  was  reported  to 
have  taken  refuge.  Paredes  was  not  found  ;  but  it 
being  necessary  to  procure  a  large  number  of  horses 
for  the  command,  in  consequence  of  the  loss  and 
disability  of  many,  the  Major  returned  with  several 
of  a  superior  quality  of  the  Mexican  breed.  The 
measure  was  justified  by  necessity,  and,  further, 
from  the  confessions  of  the  agent  and  servants  of  the 
hacienda,  it  was  ascertained  that  Paredes  and 
Jaurata  had  frequently  conferred  together  there; 
and  moreover,  that  the  latter  had  been  furnished 
with  horses,  ammunition  and  money,  by  the  proprie- 
tor of  the  hacienda.  However,  upon  the  representa- 
tions of  the  proprietor,  supported  by  several  letters 
from  responsible  and  influential  officers  of  our  army, 
I  ordered  the  horses  to  be  returned  and  others  to  bo 
purchased. 

"From  further  reliable  information  received,  that 
Jarauta  had  retired  with  his  whole  force  to  the 
of  Sequalteplan,  situated  in  the  mountains, 


264  GEN.  LAKTE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

about  seventy-five  miles  north  of  Tulancingo,  I  left 
the  latter  place,  sending  the  sick  in  charge  of  Colo- 
nel Dominguez  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  arrived, 
after  a  forced  march,  immediately  after  day-break 
on  the  25th,  in  the  vicinity  of  Sequalteplan. 

"With  the  Texas  rangers  in  advance,  I  marched 
my  force  with  a  rapid  charge  upon  the  town.  Near 
the  suburbs,  a  heavy  fire  was  opened  upon  the  Texas 
rangers  from  a  quartel  to  the  right,  which  was  im- 
mediately returned  with  fatal  eifect  from  their  uner- 
ring rifles.  One  company  remained  to  keep  the 
enemy  in  check,  the  remainder  marched  forward  to 
the  main  plaza,  receiving  a  fire  from  both  sides  of 
the  street.  Passing  through  the  plaza  accompanied 
by  Lieutenants  Hays  and  Ilaslett  and  several  of  the 
Texans,  I  found,  some  three  hundred  yards  beyond 
another  quartel,  from  which  a  fire  was  opened  upon 
us ;  another  force  of  the  enemy's  lancers  was  discov- 
ered beyond,  and  believing  our  force  too  small  to 
contend  with  the  whole  of  the  enemy,  should  a  com- 
bined attack  be  made  upon  us,  although  I  had  been 
joined  by  Captain  Daggett,  of  the  Texas  rangers, 
with  several  of  his  company,  I  dispatched  my  aid, 
Lieut.  Hays,  who  soon  returned  with  a  reinforcement 
of  rangers.  The  fire  of  the  enemy  from  the  quartel 
having  redoubled,  I  ordered  the  Texans  to  dismount, 
when  the  conflict  became  more  animated  and  equal. 
The  distance  between  the  combatants  was  at  no  time 
more  than  thirty  feet,  and  frequently  muzzle  to 
muzzle  until  it  became  necessary  to  make  a  charge, 
to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  his  position.  I  conse- 
quently ordered  a  charge,  which  was  gallantly  led 
by  the  officers  and  promptly  followed  by  the  men, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  265 

driving  the  enemy  before  them,  until  they  took  refuge 
in  the  rooms  of  the  quartel,  disputing,  however, 
every  inch  of  ground.  Here  the  contest  became 
most  desperate,  although  brief;  the  doors  were 
forced  and  the  superiority  of  our  men  and  arms  was 
soon  shown,  in  the  termination  of  the  conflict. 
About  thirty  of  the  enemy,  including  several  officers, 
were  killed,  and  several  taken  prisoners,  while  many 
-escaped  through  a  passage  in  the  rear,  unknown 
to  us. 

"I  am  extremely  gratified  to  be  able  to  report  our 
loss  as  so  trifling — being  but  one  probably  mor- 
tally, and  five  slightly  wounded ;  while  on  the  part 
of  the  enemy  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
were  killed,  uncluding  Padre  Martinez,  second  in 
command,  and  several  officers  whose  names  have 
not  been  ascertained ;  in  wounded  his  loss  is  con- 
siderable, including  Colonel  Montagna,  mortally, 
with  fifty  prisoners,  three  commissioned  officers,  and 
three  Americans,  believed  to  be  deserters. 

"For  the  prompt  and  efficient  support  which  I 
received  from  every  officer  of  my  command  during 
the  expedition,  I  beg  leave  to  tender  my  heartfelt 
thanks;  and  of  each  non-commissioned  officer  and 
soldier  I  must  say,  that  they  bore  themselves  with 
that  distinction  which  ever  characterizes  the  Ame- 
rican soldier. 

"To  Col.  Hays,  Majors  Polk  and  Truett,  indi- 
vidually, I  repeat  the  assurances  expressed  heretofore 
by  me.  To  Dr.  Lamar,  surgeon  to  the  command ; 
Captains  Hutton  and  Pancroft,  commissaries;  and 
Lieut.  Haslett,  A.  A.  Q.  M.,  (who  particularly  dis- 
tinguished himself  during  the  day,)  I  convey  my 
23 


266  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m 

sincere  thanks  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  re- 
spective duties.  In  the  rencontre  with  the  enemy  at 
the  quartel,  I  was  pleased  to  observe  the  gallantry 
of  Captain  Daggett,  Lieut.  Davis,  and  Sergeant- 
Major  Brush,  of  the  Texas  rangers.  In  the  charge 
upon  the  enemy,  Lieut.  Davis  was  twice  severely 
wounded.  Dr.  Ford  and  Lieut.  Walker  of  the  rifles 
are  also  entitled  to  consideration. 

"Lieut.  Alexander  Hays,  8th  infantry,  A.  A.  A. 
Gen.,  needed  not  this  occasion  to  signalize  his  brave- 
ry, coolness,  and  devotion  to  his  duties.  His  behavior 
in  every  emergency  added,  if  possible,  new  honors. 

"I  regret  to  state  that  during  the  engagement,  in 
the  incessant  firing,  fire  was  accidentally  communi- 
cated to  the  thatched  roof  of  one  of  the  houses,  and 
which  finally  spread  over  a  large  portion  of  the  town. 

"Leaving  Sequalteplan  on  the  morning  of  the  26th, 
I  returned  to  this  city  on  the  1st  inst. 
"Respectfully  submitted, 

"  JOSEPH  LANE,  Brig.-Gen. 
"  To  MAJOK  L.  THOMAS, 

u  Ass't  Adj. -General,  City  of  Mexico." 

A  few  days  after  the  fight  of  Sequalteplan,  I  met 
Gen.  Lane,  and  heard  him  relate  the  following  inci- 
dent which  occurred  during  the  fight:  Lane  had 
rode  up  with  a  party  of  Texans,  in  front  of  a  largo 
building,  and  from  one  of  the  windows  of  the  upper 
story  he  noticed  an  escopette  which  was  pointed  at 
his  breast.  The  General  supposed  his  last  hour  had 
come,  but  on  the  instant  a  young  boy,  belonging  to 
the  rangers,  fired  his  revolver  at  the  Mexican,  who 
fell  backward  into  the  house,  and  as  he  fell  his 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  267 

escopette  went  off,  the  ball  passing  through  Lane's 
hat.  It  was  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  was  finish- 
ed before  Lane  had  a  chance  to  do  anything.  The 
boy  was  afterward  taken  under  Lane's  charge. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1848,  Captain  Kessler 
started  from  Puebla,  to  visit  the  city  of  Mexico.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Lieut. -Col.  Moore,  Lieutenant 
Hoessler,  and  private  Wohlleber,  of  the  4th  Ohio 
regiment ;  and  Corporal  Saunders,  and  private  Lea- 
gle,  of  the  artillery.  Lieut.-Col.  Moore  went  up  to 
see  about  getting  clothing  for  his  regiment;  and 
Kessler  went  up  to  carry  the  medal  which  our  brig- 
ade had  caused  to  be  made  for  General  Lane.  The 
battery  was  left  under  my  command  ;  and  I  took  an 
affectionate  farewell  of  Kessler. 

At  sunrise,  the  little  party,  well  armed  and 
mounted,  wended  its  way  through  the  streets  of 
Puebla,  and  was  soon  far  off  on  the  road.  They 
continued  their  course  around  the  gray  volcanoes 
of  Popocatepetl  and  Iztaccihuatl,  and  about  noon 
reached  the  town  of  San  Martin's,  twenty  miles  from 
Puebla,  where  they  stopped  and  took  dinner.  Old 
General  Torrejon  called  upon  them  while  they  were 
here,  and  took  dinner  with  them.  After  resting  a 
short  time,  they  resumed  their  journey.  They  had 
proceeded  but  about  a  mile,  and  were  riding  leisurely 
along  a  narrow  portion  of  the  road,  the  sides  of 
which  were  very  high  and  steep  ascents,  when  there 
were  two  parties  of  guerrillas  rode  out  from  dense 
thickets  in  their  front  and  rear.  The  Mexicans  in 
front  fired  upon  them ;  when  Moore  gave  the  order 
to  face  about,  and  try  to  get  back  to  the  town  of  San 
Martin's,  or  the  shelter  of  a  bridge  which  they  had 


268  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

passed  but  a  few  momenta  before.  As  they  ap- 
proached the  bridge,  they  found  it  strongly  guarded 
by  Mexicans ;  and  Moore  told  his  companions  to 
scatter  as  much  as  possible,  so  as  to  avoid  getting 
hit.  The  guerrillas  again  fired,  and  Capt.  Kessler 
was  shot  through  the  neck.  The  red  blood  spurted 
out  in  a  thick  stream  upon  his  blue  coat,  and  he  fell 
from  his  horse.  Privates  Wohlleber  and  Leagle 
were  shot  dead  ;  and  Moore,  with  his  two  remaining 
comrades,  forced  the  bridge,  he  shooting  one  Mexi- 
can as  he  passed,  and  Lieutenant  Roessler  another. 
They  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  San  Martin's, 
where  Moore  claimed  protection  of  the  alcalde  and 
ordered  him  to  furnish  them  with  a  room. 

Crptain  Kessler,  after  his  fall,  defended  himself 
as  long  as  he  could  with  his  saber,  but  was  at  last 
overpowered  and  transfixed  in  many  places  by  lances, 
as  were  the  two  soldiers.  The  fiends  then  stripped 
the  bodies,  taking  the  medal  and  everything  valu- 
able belonging  to  them^  then  placed  a  lasso  around 
Kesslers  neck,  and  dragged  his  body  some  distance 
over  the  craggy  road,  with  their  horses  on  the  full 
gallop.  They  laughed  and  screamed  with  joy  as 
tltey  saw  his  flesh  lacerated  by  the  sharp  rocks,  and 
trampled  upon  his  manly,  though  now  inanimate, 
form  with  their  horses'  hoofs.  After  wreaking  their 
vengeance  in  this  way,  they  threw  the  bodies  into  a 
ditch  by  the  road- side. 

The  guerrillas  next  rode  to  San  Martin's,  and  de- 
manded of  the  alcalde  the  deliverance  to  them  of 
Lieut.-Col.  Moore  and  his  comrades,  who  had  been 
supplied  with  plenty  of  guns  and  pistols  by  Gen. 
Torrejon,  who,  in  this  instance,  behaved  in  the  most 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  269 

manly  and  honorable  manner.  They  were  in  a  room 
near  the  street,  and  could  hear  the  movement  of 
horses'  feet  and  the  sound  of  voices,  and  expected 
every  moment  to  be  attacked.  Gen.  Torrejon  made  a 
speech  to  his  countrymen,  upbraiding  them  for  their 
conduct,  which  was  received  by  them  with  shouts 
of  scorn,  and  every  demonstration  of  indignation. 

A  messenger  was  dispatched  to  Puebla  for  assist- 
ance ;  and,  at  midnight,  Colonels  Brough  and  Gor- 
man, Lieut.-Col.  Dumont,  Capt.  Dodd,  with  Lewis' 
company  of  cavalry  and  my  artillerymen  on  horse- 
back, armed  with  muskets,  started  out  to  rescue 
Moore  from  the  guerrillas.  He  was  released  about 
daylight;  and  the  detachment  then  proceeded  to 
the  scene  of  slaughter,  where  Kessler's  body  was 
found  with  the  two  others,  mutilated  in  the  most 
shocking  manner.  He  had  over  twenty-five  wounds 
upon  his  body,  and  I  should  not  have  recognized  it 
at  all,  had  it  not  been  for  his  moustache.  While 
out  looking  for  the  bodies,  a  party  of  guerrillas  was 
discovered  looking  on,  and  after  a  long  pursuit  one 
of  them  was  taken  prisoner. 

The  dead  bodies  were  taken  to  Puebla,  and  Kess- 
ler  was  buried  on  the  following  day  in  a  cemetery  of 
the  city.  The  body  was  buried  in  a  wall,  according 
to  the  Mexican  custom — there  being  a  large  hole  or 
space,  in  which  the"  body  was  run,  feet  foremost, 
and  the  opening  at  the  head  afterward  covered  with 
cement.  Nearly  three  full  regiments  followed  his 
remains  to  the  place  of  interment,  and  Capt.  Robin- 
son's company  fired  three  volleys  of  musketry  over 
his  burial-place.  It  was  one  of  the  most  sad  and 
affecting  scenes  I  ever  witnessed,  and  I  with  my. 


270  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

artillery  company,  appeared  as  mourners.  We  all 
loved  our  captain,  and  his  memory  will  be  always 
dear  to  me.  The  remains  of  Captain  Kessler  were 
afterward  sent  home  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  charge 
of  Captain  Zircle,  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment. 

This  was,  all-in-all,  one  of  the  most  cold-blooded 
scenes,  (indeed  I  may  safely  say  the  most  cold- 
blooded scene,)  that  was  enacted  during  the  Mexican 
war,  and  I  never  think  of  it  without  a  thrill  of  hor- 
ror. It  was  perpetrated  upon  a  man  that  I  loved, 
and  one  whom  I  had  become  associated  with  in  the 
strong  ties  of  military  service. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Augustus  Moore  was  born  in 
the  city  of  Leipsic,  in  the  kingdom  of  Saxony,  in  the 
year  1813.  He  was  educated  in  the  Polytechnic 
school,  and  remained  in  Leipsic  until  the  year  1832, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  In  1838  he 
commanded  a  company  of  cavalry,  which  he  had 
raised  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  served  in  the 
Florida  war.  His  company  was  attached  to  the  2d 
regiment  of  dragoons,  and  participated  in  several 
skirmishes  with  the  Indians.  lie  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  United  States'  service  in  Florida, 
and  from  thence  set  out  for  the  West  India  islands. 
He  was  unfortunate  enough  to  be  shipwrecked  on 
the  island  of  St.  Thomas,  in  the  latter  part  of  1838, 
and  thought  himself  lucky  in  escaping  with  his  life. 
From  St.  Thomas  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  from 
thence  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  married  in  1839.  In 
the  year  1846  he  raised  a  German  battalion  for  ser- 
vice in  the  Mexican  war,  which  was  not  mustered 
into  service,  though  it  received  three  months'  pay. 
A  beautiful  sword  was  presented  to  Moore,  by  the 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  271 

citizens  of  Cincinnati,  through  the  honorable  David 
T.  Disney,  which  in  some  measure  served  to  quiet 
the  feeling  of  disappointment  occasioned  by  not 
being  mustered  into  service.  In  1847  he  became 
captain  of  a  company,  and  afterward  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment.  He  is  now  major- 
general  of  the  Ohio  militia. 

Moore  is  an  expert  sabreur,  and  a  brave  man.  He 
betrayed  the  most  poignant  emotion  upon  the  death 
of  his  friend  Capt.  Kessler,  and  everybody  honored 
him  for  it.  He  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  a 
good  officer. 

The  Carnival  commenced  on  Sunday,  March  5th, 
and  for  a  period  of  three  days  the  city  presented  a 
lively  and  gay  appearance.  Col.  Childs  had  given 
orders  that  no  maskers  should  appear  in  the  streets, 
as  he  apprehended  that  assassinations  might  be  com- 
mitted under  a  jester's  garb.  But  inside  of  the 
theaters,  and  particularly  at  La  Lonja,  or  the  Hall  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  palace,  the  most 
superb  masked  balls  were  going  on.  I  had  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure  during  this  period,  and  visited  some- 
times three  or  four  balls  in  the  course  of  an  evening, 
The  music  was  excellent,  and  the  Mexicans  entered 
into  the  amusement  with  great  zest  and  earnestness. 
Our  officers  and  soldiers  rigged  themselves  up  in  the 
most  outlandish  style,  and  some  of  the  most  ludi- 
crous scenes  occurred  that  it  has  ever  been  my  for- 
tune to  witness.  Turks,  Arabs,  soldiers,  sailors, 
flower-girls,  fine  ladies^  and  everybody  else,  \vero 
mixed  together  in  the  strangest  confusion,  and  all 
aimed  to  make  the  time  pass  away  as  pleasantly  as 
possible,. 


272  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

After  the  Carnival,  there  were  many  religious  ser- 
vices going  on  for  a  number  of  days,  all  of  which 
were  very  attractive  to  the  Catholics ;  but  not  know- 
ing much  about  them,  and  caring  less,  I  took  but 
little  pains  to  ascertain  what  particular  saints  they 
were  in  honor  of.  Night  and  day  they  kept  their 
performances  going,  until  from  sheer  fatigue  they 
ceased  chanting  in  the  street  and  carrying  their  long 
wax  candles  about  after  dark. 

A  regiment  of  Illinois  volunteers,  under  Colonel 
Collins,  arrived  in  Puebla  during  the  month  of 
March,  and  took  up  quarters  in  the  convent  of  San 
Augustine.  There  was  a  number  of  fine  fellows  in 
the  regiment,  though  our  stay  with  them  was  so 
short  as  to  give  us  but  little  time  to  cultivate  their 
acquaintance. 

March  22d,  1848,  First  Lieutenant  J.  S.  S.  Deca- 
tur  Gary,  of  our  regiment,  died.  He  was  a  good  offi- 
cer, and  contracted  his  disease  while  attending  upon 
his  brother,  Capt.  Gary,  of  the  5th  Indiana  regiment, 
who  died  in  the  city  of  Mexico.  During  our  stay  in 
Puebla,  company  I,  4th  Indiana  volunteers,  had 
three  men  killed  out  of  it,  viz:  Thomas  Russell, 
Samuel  Thomas  and  Harvey  Drake;  and  five  men 
died,  viz:  Lucas  L.  Brish,  Jacob  Castleman,  Moses 
Hicks,  Charles  "W.  Reeves  and  Zimri  Williamson. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  Sergeant  Washington 
O'Neal  and  private  Robert  Roberts,  of  company  K, 
went  to  Cholula,  to  have  a  bit  of  fun ;  while  there 
they  were  attacked  by  the  Mexicans  and  both  se- 
verely wounded.  Hearing  of  the  affray,  I  went  out 
with  my  artillerymen,  and  was  joined  by  some  of 
the  Indianijjus,  to  rescue  them.  We  found  them 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  273 

coming  through  the  fields,  and  one  of  my  soldiers 
shot  a  Mexican,  who  was  a  long  distance  oft'  making 
signs  at  us.  We  put  the  wounded  men  on  our 
horses  and  carried  them  safely  into  Puebla. 

The  next  day  after  the  occurrence  of  the  incident 
above  alluded  to,  news  reached  us  of  the  death  of  the 
venerable  ex-president,  John  Quincy  Adams,  who 
died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  the  23d  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1848.  Minute  guns  were  fired,  and  the  offi- 
cers were  ordered  to  wear  crape  on  the  left  arm  for 
thirty  days.  The  army  was  proud  to  do  honor  to 
the  memory  of  that  distinguished  statesman,  who 
went  down  to  his  grave  covered  with  honors  and  the 
gratitude  of  his  countrymen. 

From  some  cause  or  other,  I  never  could  under- 
stand why,  the  4th  Indiana  regiment  was  ordered  to 
march  from  Puebla  and  garrison  that  most  gloomy 
of  all  places,  Napaloucan.  It  was  said  that  guerril- 
las still  infested  the  country  thereabout,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  give  them  a  good  flogging.  To  leave 
Puebla  seemed  almost  like  meeting  death ;  but  as 
wre  had  been  obliged  to  face  that  without  flinching, 
so  we  were  obliged  to  go  to  Napaloucan  without 
murmuring.  Heigh-ho !  it  was  hard,  but  an  order 
from  Col.  Childs  to  me,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
copy,  will  show  how  little  that  gallant  officer  cared 
for  my  individual  feelings. 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  DEP'T  OF  PUEBLA. 

Puebla,  31st  March,  1848. 
"  Special  Orders,  No.  51. 

"1.  First  Lieutenant  Brackett,  4th  Indiana  regi- 
ment, and  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates 


274         GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN  MEXICO. 

attached  to  the  artillery  section,  and  belonging  to 
the  4th  regiment  Indiana  volunteers,  are  hereby  re- 
lieved from  the  duties  they  are  at  present  perform- 
ing, and  will  immediately  join  that  regiment. 
"  By  order  of  THOMAS  GUILDS,  Col.  U.  S.  A., 
"  Commanding  Department. 

"O.  F.  WINSHIP,  A.  A.G." 

I  turned  the  battery  over  to  Second  Lieutenant 
Mosher,  of  the  4th  Ohio  regiment,  and  commenced 
making  preparations  to  leave  the  proud  and  beautiful 
City  of  the  Angels,  in  which  I  had  fought  and  bled  for 
my  country.  But  we  anticipated  fighting  below,  and 
moreover  Napaloucan  was  forty  miles  nearer  to  the 
United  States  than  Puebla.  With  as  good  a  face  as 
we  could  put  upon  matters,  and  which,  by  the  way. 
reminded  me  of  the  old  fable  of  the  fox  and  the 
grapes,  we  sorrowfully  made  ourselves  ready  to  go. 

On  the  first  day  of  April,  1848,  our  regiment 
formed  for  the  last  time  in  Puebla,  in  front  of  our 
quarters.  The  men  had  their  knapsacks,  haversacks 
and  canteens  on,  and  everything  bespoke  a  long 
march.  The  Mexican  population  appeared  to  feel 
very  bad  at  seeing  us  leave,  and  many  of  the  kind- 
hearted  senoritas  wept  like  children.  The  men,  too, 
felt  sad,  and  gave  us  hearty  hand-shakings,  and  sent 
up  prayers  that  we  might  be  blessed  on  our  journey. 
We  had  treated  the  inhabitants  of  Puebla  with  the 
greatest  kindness,  and  when  we  were  ordered  to  leave 
the  city,  they  appeared  to  be  very  loth  to  let  us  go. 
But  we  had  been  too  long  idle,  and  our  colonel,  with 
the  express  wishes  of  General  Butler,  thought  a  little 
exercise  would  do  us  good. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  275 

Our  flag  was  unfurled,  and  with  our  drums  beat- 
ing a  merry  march  we  left  Puebla,  followed  by  half 
the  population.  The  Ohio  boys  were  sorry  to  see  us 
go,  as  Lane's  brigade  by  this  means  was  entirely 
broken  up.  Still  they  cheered  us  as  we  passed  by 
them,  and  we  returned  the  compliment  to  them.  It 
was  a  very  pleasant  day  when  we  left,  and  marching 
along  the  hard  road  eastward  wye  reached  the  town 
of  Amasoque  before  nightfall.  There  being  but  one 
regiment  of  us,  we  had  an  opportunity  to  pick  our 
own  quarters,  and  the  result  was  we  were  very  com- 
fortable. I  slept  in  a  nice,  clean  room,  and  had  a  good 
cup  of  chocolate  for  my  supper.  Our  regiment  lay 
here  until  the  next  morning,  when  we  again  took  up 
the  line  of  march. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Napaloucan — Major  William  "W.  McCoy — Hacienda  San  Marcos — 
Sports — Visit  to  the  city  of  Mexico — Mexican  girls — Sights  in 
the  city — Return — Major-General  Winfiold  Scott — Major  Dyke- 
man — March  to  En  Cerro — List  of  regiments  at  En  Cerro — Brig.- 
Gen.  Lane — Major  Taylor  and  Captain  Field  drowned  at  sea — 
Loss  of  steamship  San  Francisco — Lieut.  Winder's  letter. 

ON  the  2d  of  April,  we  marched  from  Amasoque 
to  the  hacienda  of  Floresta,  a  distance  of  over 
twenty  miles,  and  met  with  no  incident  worthy  of 
record,  except  being  fired  upon  by  some  Mexicans, 
and  taking  two  or  three  prisoners  near  the  town  of 
Acahete.  We  lay  at  the  hacienda  all  night,  and  the 
next  day  marched  into  the  town  of  Napaloucan. 
This  town  is  built  upon  a  gentle  eminence,  and  is 
noted  for  its  healthfulness  and  fine  climate.  It- 
contained  at  that  time  a  population  of  about  three 
thousand.  It  has  a  fine  Gothic  church  fronting  upon 
the  main  plaza,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  high  and 
thick  stone  wall.  A  deserted  convent  also  fronts 
upon  the  plaza,  and  was  used  by  one  of  our  com- 
panies as  quarters  during  our  stay.  The  town  is 
twelve  miles  from  Huamantla,  where  we  fought  the 
battle  and  was  the  head-quarters  of  Santa  Anna 
during  the  engagement.  The  scenery  around  it  is 
of  the  most  romantic  character,  and  the  mountains 
of  El  Final  and  La  Malinche  loom  up  in  the  west. 
(276) 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  277 

Five  companies  of  onr  regiment,  viz  :  companies 
F,  G,  II,  I,  and  K,  were  sent  out  of  town  one  mile 
to  the  hacienda  San  Marcos,  and  continued  there 
some  time,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Wm. 
W.  McCoy,  who  was  a  brave  soldier  and  an  accom- 
plished gentleman.  He  was  born  in  Boone  county, 
Kentucky,  on  the  21st  day  of  June,  1811,  and  was 
the  son  of  a  farmer  who  emigrated  from  Virginia. 
He  chose  medicine  as  his  profession,  and  read  with 
Dr.  Waller,,  in  Burlington,  Kentucky,  and  afterward 
graduated  as  doctor  of  medicine,  at  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1834.  After  being  graduated,  he  moved 
from  Kentucky,  and  settled  in  Shelbyville,  Indiana, 
and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from 
Shelby  county,  in  1840.  He  moved  from  Shelby  to 
Laporte  county,  and  was  elected  captain  of  company 
I,  in  the  month  of  May,  1847;  his  company  being 
made  up  from  Laporte,  St.  Joseph's,  Kosciusko,  Ful- 
ton, Elkhart,  Pulaski,  and  Cass  counties,  Indiana. 
He  was  captain  ;  Fravel,  first  lieutenant;  and  Allard 
and  myself  second  lieutenants.  Upon  the  forma- 
tion of  the  regiment,  McCoy  was  promoted  major ; 
Fravel,  captain ;  and  myself,  first-lieutenant.  His 
health  was  very  poor  while  in  Mexico ;  but  still  he 
refused  to  return  home,  and  continued  to  do  his 
duty,  when  all  pronounced  him  too  unwell.  He  was 
proud-spirited,  and  one  of  the  most  sensitive  men  I 
ever  knew.  He  now  lives  in  California. 

Hacienda  San  Marcos  was  rather  a  rural  place, 
and  we  had  plenty  of  time  to  take  items  in  Mexican 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  the  treatment  and 
manner  of  life  of  the  peons  or  slaves.  On  the  farm 
where  we  were  stationed  there  were  about  three 


278  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  LN 

hundred  of  them  ;  and  I  frequently  visited  their  huts, 
•which  were  built  around  the  square  inside  of  the 
walls  of  the  hacienda,  and  found  them  the  most 
meek  and  quiet  people  in  the  world.  Every  Satur- 
day night  they  received  from  the  head  man  of  the 
hacienda,  corn  and  beans  enough  to  do  them  a  week, 
and  then  went  noiselessly  to  their  homes  to  cook  and 
eat  them  in  silence.  Whether  this  taciturn  spirit  is 
natural,  or  whether  it  is  caused  by  being  broken 
down  and  enslaved  by  their  conquerors,  is  more  than 
I  can  say.  But  I  always  found  them  meek  in  dis- 
position, suffering  the  pains  of  the  lash  without 
murmuring,  and  only  rousing  from  their  lethargy  by 
seeing  the  image  of  the  Virgin  of  Guaclalupe,  or 
hearing  the  solemn  and  impressive  music  of  the 
Catholic  service.  They  lived  with  us  in  peace,  and 
I  never  saw  one  of  them  disobey  an  order,  whether 
given  by  an  American  officer  or  a  Mexican  overseer. 
The  hacienda  buildings  were  surrounded  by  a 
high  and  thick  adobe  wall,  within  which  were  the 
mule-stables,  and  the  buildings  of  the  peons.  The 
hacienda  was  built  with  a  view  to  protection  against 
the  bands  of  robbers  who  infest  Mexico,  and  was  a 
farm-house  of  no  mean  pretensions.  It  had  been 
once  attacked  by  a  band  of  robbers,  who,  after  being 
severely  worsted,  were  obliged  to  retreat.  Our  sol- 
diers were  quartered  in  the  mule-stables,  and  I 
thought  then,  and  still  think,  that  placing  them 
there  was  scandalous.  I  know  not  who  was  to 
blame,  neither  do  I  censure  any  one,  but  placing  a 
battalion  of  American  soldiers  in  a  mule-pen,  when 
there  were  plenty  of  good  roomy  buildings  within 
eight  or  ten  miles,  was  a  most  precious  outrage,  and 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  279 

an  unwarrantable  assumption  of  power  on  the  part 
of  some  individual.  To  the  honor  of  our  men  I 
must  say,  that  they  bore  the  whole  thing  without 
a  murmur,  and  tried  to  get  along  as  well  as  possible 
while  suffering  their  various  inconveniences. 

To  pass  away  the  time,  Graham,  Lewis,  and 
myself  assisted  a  party  of  quartermaster's  men  to 
break  and  tame  a  drove  of  mules  ;  "for,"  says  one 
of  them  to  me,  "a  mule,  when  he's  broke,  makes 
the  best  horse  in  the  world."  I  think  we  had  as 
much  sport  at  it  as  anything  we  ever  fell  upon  to 
make  sport  out  of,  and  with  a  dozen  bare-headed 
Irish  teamsters  and  as  many  more  soldiers,  we  had 
fun  indeed.  We  would  get  an  Irishman  on  a  mule, 
when  Graham  would  prick  the  animal  with  a  pen- 
knife, and  away  he  would  go,  sailing  along  under 
full  gallop,  amid  the  shouts  and  cheers  of  ourselves 
and  our  men,  until  directly  the  mule  and  Irishman 
would  land  in  a  deep  ditch  by  the  road-side ;  when 
we  would  run  up  and  afford  all  the  assistance  in  our 
power  to  the  unfortunate  Hibernian.  We  were  all 
armed  with  long  blacksnake  whips,  and  the  skir- 
mishes which  we  had  with  the  mules  were  in  the 
highest  degree  exciting  and  laughable.  The  head- 
teamster  was  a  large,  powerful  fellow,  intent  only  on 
breaking  his  animals ;  while  we,  seeming  to  assist 
him,  rendered  the  mules  as  frisky  and  untamable  as 
we  could.  The  old  fellow  would  bawl  out  to  us — 
"Give  it  them,  gintlemen ;  treat  the  divils  hash!" 
And  again  we  would  get  an  Irishman  aboard  of  a 
mule,  and  again  land  him  in  the  ditch.  Such  was  our 
pastime  at  San  Marcos;  and  Graham  and  Lewis, 


280  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

who  were  stationed  in  Napaloucan,  would  come  down 
every  morning  to  join  me  in  my  innocent  sports. 

At  other  times  we  would  go  into  the  fields  with 
the  Mexicans,  and  watch  the  operation  of  making 
pulque,  which  I  have  already  described.  We  each 
and  every  one  of  us  had  a  horse,  and  frequently  took 
trips  into  the  country,  visiting  the  haciendas  of  San 
Antonio  Tamaris,  Floresta  and  La  Concepcion. 
In  this  way  we  became  acquainted  with  the  whole 
country  and  with  all  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Mexican  people.  1  had  learned  Spanish  so  well 
that  I  could  converse  very  well  with  the  people,  and 
felt  as  much  at  home  while  conversing  with  the 
Mexicans  as  I  did  with  my  own  countrymen.  The 
country  people  were  very  kind  to  us,  and  I  can 
safely  say  that  we  were  as  kind  to  them.  We  lived 
together  in  the  greatest  peace  and  harmony,  and  a 
passing  stranger  would  not  have  supposed  that  our 
soldiers  were  quartered  with  a  conquered  people. 
They  went  on  in  their  usual  ways  of  life,  not  inter- 
fering with  us,  and  we  followed  their  example  by 
not  interfering  in  their  concerns. 

Having  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  two  weeks 
from  the  colonel  of  our  regiment,  I  set  out,  accom- 
panied by  seven  officers  and  ten  soldiers,  to  visit  the 
city  of  Mexico.  We  had  one  wagon  with  us  which 
was  loaded  with  provisions,  and  after  taking  leave 
of  our  friends,  set  out  and  reached  Puebla  the  fol- 
lowing day.  We  were  all  mounted  on  good  horses, 
and  after  resting  over-night  at  Puebla,  again  started 
on  our  journey  toward  the  capital.  Passing  along 
a  hard  road  which  had  once  been  well  paved,  we 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

arrived  at  the  village  of  San  Martin,  and  moving 
on  through  it  reached  Bio  Frio,  where  we  stayed 
over-night.  Here  we  found  seven  companies  of  the 
5th  Ohio  regiment  under  Ool.  Irwin,  and  with  the 
officers  of  that  corps  we  spent  the  night.  At  early 
dawn  we  were  again  in  the  saddle,  and  passing  down 
a  rapid  descent  the  valley  of  Mexico  burst  upon 
our  view.  The  high  mountains  on  the  left  rose  in 
silent  and  awful  grandeur,  pushing  their  great  white 
cones  up  against  the  blue  sky,  and  seeming  to  rise 
from  a  sea  of  green  vegetation  as  luxuriant  as  it  was 
beautiful.  The  atmosphere  was  clear  and  bracing, 
and  far  off  to  the  west  a  succession  of  mountains 
and  green  valleys  were  seen  stretching  in  the  distance, 
and  giving  the  whole  scene  the  appearance  of  a 
brightly  tinted  and  well  executed  picture.  A  few 
miles  further  on  the  road  we  turned  an  abrupt  corner, 
and  the  city  of  Mexico,  with  its  spires  and  steeples, 
broad  streets  and  gay  coloring  lay  before  us,  sur- 
rounded by  lakes  of  pure  water,  which  reflected  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  and  by  broad  fields  which  seemed 
to  stretch  far  out  toward  the  bases  of  the  mountains. 
We  swept  down  into  the  city  at  a  gallop,  and  did 
not  halt  until  we  had  reached  the  Grand  Plaza, 
which  is  somewhat  larger  than  that  of  Puebla.  The 
Cathedral  of  Mexico  is  on  one  side ;  the  National 
Palace  (or  "Halls  of  the  Montezumas,"  as  our  poetic 
North  American  letter-writers  are  wont  to  call  it.)  on 
another;  while  on  the  third  there  is  a  substantial  and 
well-filled  market  house.  The  fourth  side  of  the  square 
is  filled  with  houses  with  projecting  portals  over  the 
pavement.  After  stopping  a  short  time  in  the  plaza, 
we  were  .directed  to  a  house  where  we  could  obtain 
24 


282  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

quarters,  by  a  kind-hearted,  and  certainly  disinter- 
ested individual,  and  putting  spurs  to  our  jaded 
steeds,  were  soon  in  possession  of  a  very  decent- 
looking  house  in  the  Calle  de  Mercidores. 

Housing  in  our  wagon,  we  took  out  a  good  supply 
of  American  cured  ham,  and  some  fresh  bakers' 
bread,  and  seated  ourselves  in  the  family  room  where 
we  partook  of  a  very  pleasant  supper.  There  were 
two  young  ladies  within,  both  handsome,  who  looked 
upon  our  northern  operations  of  stowing  away  bread- 
stuffs  with  considerable  curiosity,  and  thinking  they 
were  hungry  I  asked  them  to  join  us.  The  girls 
first  looked  at  one  another,  and  seeming  to  form  a 
sudden  resolution,  they  tripped  toward  me,  and  seat- 
ing themselves  on  the  floor  on  each  side  of  me,  com- 
menced eating  in  earnest;  at  the  same  time  keeping 
up  a  womanly  conversation  in  the  purest  and  most 
musical  Spanish  language.  Every  now  and  then 
they  would  ask  me  some  question,  and  look  upon 
me  with  their  great  black  swimming  eyes,  and  expect 
that  I  would  answer  them  in  soberness.  Could  I, 
reader?  No! — If  you  think  I  could,  you  have  never 
seen  a  beautiful  Mexican  girl.  I  was  sitting  beside 
them  on  the  floor,  and  they  took  great  pains  to  show 
their  darling  little  feet  now  and  then,  encased  in 
dainty  little  satin  slippers.  I  liked  them  both  from 
the  commencement,  and  when  I  tell  the  reader  that 
their  names  were  respectively  Rosa  Flores  and 
Guadalupe  Roderiguez,  I  presume  nobody  will 
blame  me  for  falling  in  love  with  them  immediately. 
Our  supper  was  ended  in  due  time,  and  with  the 
aid  of  a  capital  glass  of  pulque,  and  a  finely-flavored 
cigarrita,  presented  to  me  by  Rosa,  I  felt  very  com- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  283 

fortable,  and  formed  very  pleasing  ideas  of  my  first 
introduction  into  the  great  City  of  Mexico. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  Bella  Union,  which 
place  most  Americans  will  recollect,  particularly  if 
they  have  ever  spent  any  length  of  time  in  the  city. 
The  sights  at  this  place  it  is  no  business  of  mine  to 
describe,  and  what  is  unknown  about  it,  is  as  well  as 
what  is  known.  After  spending  a  few  hours  at  this 
place  I  returned  to  my  quarters,  and  had  the  plea- 
sure of  hearing  Guadalupe  play  on  her  guitar.  It 
was  a  calm,  still,  quiet  evening,  and  sitting  on  the 
balcony  in  the  clear  moonlight,  the  music  sounded 
charmingly.  Below  us  were  a  number  of  people 
enjoying  the  luxury  of  the  pleasant  evening,  and 
everything  appeared  to  be  hushed  in  repose.  I  shall 
long  recollect  that  scene,  and  from  the  place  where 
I  stood,  I  watched  the  pale  moon  as  it  climbed  slowly 
up  into  the  heavens  and  lighted  up  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  throwing  the  shadows  in  still  deeper 
gloom.  It  was  a  late  hour  before  I  retired,  and  even 
then  the  soft  thrumming  of  distant  guitars,  and  the 
melodious  warbling  of  sweet  voices,  served  to  render 
me  quite  wakeful  and  nervous.  No  one  can  con- 
ceive of  the  beauty  and  almost  heavenly  quiet  of  a 
night  in  the  uplands  of  Mexico,  unless  he  has  been 
there.  All  the  language  of  romance  falls  far  short 
of  depicting  the  truth  with  regard  to  them;  and  with 
this  assurance  I  will  leave  that  subject. 

The  city  of  Mexico  is  built  on  the  site  of  the 
Indian,  or  Aztec  city,  which  was  conquered  by  Cor- 
tez  in  1519.  It  had  at  that  time  four  entrances  or 
causeways,  made  by  the  hand  of  man,  twenty  feet 
wide,  which  were  built  over  the  low  marshy  grouncl 


284  GEN.  LAND'S  BRIGADE  IN 

from  the  highlands  around  into  the  city.  Cortez,  in 
his  letter  to  Charles  V.  of  Spain,  says:  "  The  pro- 
vince which  constitutes  the  principal  territory  of 
Montezuma,  is  circular,  and  entirely  surrounded  by 
lofty  and  rugged  mountains,  and  the  circumference 
of  it  is  full  seventy  leagues.  In  this  plain  there  are 
two  lakes  which  nearly  occupy  the  whole  of  it,  as 
the  people  use  canoes  for  more  than  fifty  leagues 
round.  One  of  these  lakes  is  of  fresh  water,  and 
the  other,  which  is  larger,  is  of  salt  water.  They 
are  divided,  on  one  side,  by  a  -small  collection  of 
high  hills,  which  stand  in  the  center  of  the  plain, 
and  they  unite  in  a  level  strait,  formed  between 
these  hills  and  the  high  mountains,  which  strait  is  a 
gun-shot  wide,-  and  the  people  of  the  cities  and 
other  settlements  which  are  in  these  lakes,  commu- 
nicate together  in  their  canoes  by  water,  without  the 
necessity  of  going  by  land  ;  and  as  this  great  salt 
lake  ebbs  and  flows  with  the  tide,  as  the  sea  does,  in 
every  flood  the  water  from  it  flows  into  the  other 
fresh  lake  as  impetuously  as  if  it  were  a  large  river, 
and  consequently  at  the  ebb,  the  fresh  lake  flows  into 
the  salt.  The  great  city  of  Mexico  is  founded  in 
the  salt  lake;  and  from  terra  finna  to  the  body  of 
the  city  the  distance  is  two  leagues  on  whichever 
side  they  please  to  enter  it.  The  city  itself  is  as  large 
as  Seville  or  Cordova,  with  some  very  wide,  and 
some  narrow  streets." 

In  the  city  proper,  there  is  at  the  present  time 
a  population  exceeding  200,000,  composed  of  high- 
blooded  and  rich  Spaniards,  Creoles,  Mestizos,  and 
Indians.  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  particularly  struck 
with  the  appearance  of  the  city,  and  were  I  to  con- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  285 

suit  my  own  taste  would  much  rather  reside  in  the 
city  of  Puebla.  Still  there  are  many  things  to 
attract  attention  and  elicit  a  person's  interest.  The 
character  of  the  people  is  much  the  same  as  in  other 
cities  of  the  Republic,  except  it  may  be  that  they 
carry  vice  and  debauchery  to  a  greater  extent  than 
in  any  other  place.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  give  a 
description  of  the  various  sights  in  the  city — were  I 
to  commence  it  the  task  would  be  one  of  consider- 
able length,  beside  being  foreign  to  the  design  of 
this  work.  The  city,  with  all  its  antiquities,  its 
legends  and  romantic  history,  have  all  been  so 
frequently  described,  that  it  would  seem  to  be  an 
unnecessary  piece  of  information  to  plunge  into 
minute  details. 

After  staying  here  over  a  week,  our  party  com- 
menced making  preparations  for  our  return  to  Napa- 
loucan.  Taking  leave  of  our  kind  friends  we 
threaded  our  way  through  the  streets,  and  along  the 
wide  and  well-paved  causeways  until  we  reached  the 
uplands,  when  we  broke  into  a  round  trot  and  before 
night  reached  Rio  Frio.  Arriving  at  Puebla  in 
safety,  we  stopped  one  day  and  then  took  leave  of 
it  again  forever.  It  was  rather  sad  to  leave  the  dear 
old  city  where  I  had  spent  so  many  happy  days  and 
hours,  but  with  an  effort  I  mounted  on  my  horse, 
and  did  not  again  look  round  till  the  hills  and  shrub- 
bery had  hid  it  entirely  from  my  view.  I  bade 
Puebla  good-by  with  a  tear,  and  inwardly  cursed 
Napaloucan,  where  I  was  going,  with  all  its  straw 
and  wretchedness. 

Shortly  after  returning  to  Napaloucan,  the  left  wing 


286  GEN.  LANE'S  BEIGADE  IN 

of  our  regiment  was  ordered  to  garrison  the  town, 
and  the  right  wing  was  sent  down  to  the  hacienda 
San  Marcos,  which  the  left  wing  had  previously  occu- 
pied. Adjutant  Dodd  having  been  prompted  cap- 
tain of  company  A,  Lieutenant  Van  Dusen  was 
appointed  adjutant  in  his  place.  Lieutenant  Berry 
was  promoted  captain  and  assistant  commissary,  and 
Sergeants  O.  H.  P.  Gary,  Caleb  Davis,  and  Samuel 
Macom  were  promoted  lieutenants. 

While  in  Napaloucan  Major  General  Winfield 
Scott  passed  through,  on  his  way  down  to  Vera 
Cruz  from  the  city  of  Mexico.  He  reviewed  our 
regiment  as  he  passed,  and  1  shall  never  forget  the 
appearance  of  the  old  hero  as  he  marched  down  in 
front  of  our  regiment,  on  foot,  with  his  blue  forag- 
ing cap  in  his  hand.  He  halted  his  coach  as  he 
neared  us,  and  getting  out  of  it,  marched  down  our 
line,  which  never  appeared  better  than  on  that  day. 
There  were  two  companies  of  Georgia  cavalry  with 
us,  under  the  command  of  Captains  Kelson  and 
Fulton,  who  also  saluted  the  old  general.  Scott 
looked  well,  and  I  afterward  had  the  pleasure  of 
being  introduced  to  him,  and  hearing  him  talk.  He 
complimented  our  regiment  highly,  and  spoke  of 
General  Lane  and  the  4th  Ohioans,  who  had  been 
with  us,  and  said  he  would  like  to  have  had  us  with 
him  at  the  city  of  Mexico,  "but,"  said  he,  "you 
have  done  well — very  well,  and  I  was  pleased  to 
hear  General  Lane  give  so  good  an  account  of  you." 
He  only  stayed  one  day:  in  Napaloucan,  and  then 
came  on  to  the  United  States.  He  is  by  far,  the 
greatest  military  niau  ever  born  in  America,  and 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  287 

has  done  more  than  any  other  person  toward  render- 
ing the  American  soldiery  the  best  and  most  reliable 
in  the  world. 

While  in  Napaloucan  I  had  a  young  negro  in  my 
employ  who  exulted  in  the  name  of  "Hyacinth," 
or,  as  he  was  called  in  the  vernacular,  "  Hysaint." 
He  was  a  good  hand  to  work,  and  could  turn  off  a 
boot  with  a  most  exquisite  polish,  and  was  very 
handy  in  picking  up  odd  things,  such  as  frock-coats, 
pants,  shirts  and  papers,  which  were  left  by  our 
company  officers  lying  around  on  the  floor  of  our 
quarters.  One  morning  I  met  Hysaint,  while  he 
was  busy  scouring  up  a  pair  of  "twenty  shilling 
brogans,"  which  one  of  our  officers  was  soon  to  wear 
on  parade:  said  I,  "Hysaint,  where  did  you  come 
from,  before  you  came  to  Mexico?" 

"From  de  Cherokee  Nation,  sah,"  said  he. 

"Was  you  born  a  slave  there  ?" 

"No  sah,"  said  he,  giving  the  brogan  an  extra 
rub,  and  bringing  out  the  reflection  in  bold  relief. 

"How  came  you  to  be  a  slave  then,  Hysaint?" 

"Oh!  sah,  I  was  goin'  through  Arkansaw,  and 
dey  put  me  in  jail." 

"Well,  suppose  they  did,  Hysaint,  that  didn't 
make  you  a  slave,  did  it?" 

"No  sah,  dat  didn't,  but  you  know  dey  had  to 
sell  me  to  pay  de  jail  fees,"  said  Hysaint,  with  a 
look  which  would  have  done  honor  to  a  more  pro- 
found legal  champion  than  he  was  himself. 

I  always  had  a  great  regard  for  Hysaint  after  this, 
and  forgave  him  for  calling  me  "  Lieutenant  Brack' 
ish"  when  Col.  Bumoat  asked  him  whom  he  be- 
longed to. 


288  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

I  also  became  acquainted  with  Major-General 
Gideon  J.  Pillow,  who  was  very  sick  for  a  time  in 
Napaloucan.  I  liked  his  conversation  and  should 
think  he  was  a  very  kind-hearted  man.  Brigadier- 
General  Cadwallader  also  passed  through  Napalou- 
can, so  that  in  fact  I  became  acquainted  with  nearly 
all  the  most  celebrated  generals  of  the  Mexican  war. 

Gushing,  Towson,  and  Belknap  were  in  Puebla 
together  for  a  time,  and  I  was  introduced  to  General 
Zachary  Taylor  at  New  Orleans,  while  on  my  return 
home. 

Among  the  officers  stationed  at  Napaloucan  was 
a  young  lieutenant  of  the  Georgia  cavalry  named 
Davis,  who  was  one  of  the  best  hearted  fellows  in 
the  world.  We  became  very  intimate,  and  I  found 
him  sociable  except  when  under  the  influence  of 
liquor,  when  he  was  as  uproarious  as  can  well  be 
imagined.  He  had  been  raised  among  the  Creek 
Indians,  and  frequently  told  amusing  anecdotes  re- 
specting them.  Another  fine  fellow  who  stayed 
some  time  with  me,  was  Major  Garret  Dykeman  of 
the  2d  New  York  regiment.  He  had  been  a  cap- 
tain, and  was  severely  wounded  in  the  battle  of 
Contreras,  near  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  upon  the 
death  of  Lieutenant-Col.  Baxter,  who  was  killed  at 
Chapultepec,  he  became  Major  of  the  regiment. 
He  had  been  to  the  United  States,  and  was  then 
returning  to  his  regiment  which  was  at  the  capital. 
Dykeman  was  a  noble-hearted  man,  and  I  was  glad 
to  have  so  clever  a  New  Yorker  come  to  mess  with 
me.  He  told  some  good  stories,  and  among  the  rest 
gave  me  an  account  of  Captain  Van  O'Linda's  death, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  289 

who,  as  I  before  mentioned,  was  killed  at  Chapulte- 
pec.  Yan  O'Linda  had  a  presentiment  that  he 
would  be  killed  in  the  battle,  and  made  his  arrange- 
ments to  meet  death  before  going  in.  He  was  a 
brave  officer  and  fell  very  much  regretted.  The  2d 
New  York  regiment  suffered  very  severely  in  the 
battles  near  the  city  of  Mexico,  Col.  Burnett,  having 
been  very  severely  wounded,  Lieutenant-Col.  Baxter, 
killed,  and  nearly  every  commissioned  officer  either 
killed  or  wounded.  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
regiment  at  En  Cerro.  Dykeman  went  from  Napa- 
loucan  to  the  city  of  Mexico  after  having  made 
quite  a  visit  at  my  quarters. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April  Col.  Gorman  was  ap- 
pointed governor  of  Puebla,  and  leaving  the  regi- 
ment, went  to  that  city  where  he  commenced  his 
administration.  The  reason  of  this  change,  was, 
that  Col.  Childs  returned  to  the  United  States, 
having  become  very  unpopular  in  Puebla.  Lieu- 
tenant-Col. Dumont  was  left  in  command  at  Napa- 
loucan,  and  everything  went  on  very  quietly.  Our 
stay  in  this  place  was  exceedingly  disagreeable,  and 
caused  me  to  feel  ill-natured  toward  my  country  and 
the  army  generally.  We  had  no  conveniences,  no 
amusements,  no  pleasures — in  fact  there  was  nothing 
worth  living  for  in  Napaloucan,  and  I  look  back 
upon  it  as  the  most  gloomy  and  perfectly  cheerless 
portion  of  my  military  service.  I  grew  sick — all  my 
ambition  oozed  out,  and  like  the  "Ancient  Mariner," 
I  almost  despaired.  The  sky  seemed  rotten,  and  the 
bleared  faces  of  the  surrounding  mountains,  gave 
an  unusual  gloom  and  soul  sickness  to  all  the  mem- 
bers of  our  regiment.  The  earth  was  dry  and 
25 


290  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

parched — the  deepest  wells  seemed  almost  destitute 
of  water,  and  what  little  there  was  left  was  filled 
with  loathsome  vermin.  Another  month  in  that 
detestable  place  would  have  killed  us  all! 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1848,  Major  Graham  of  the 
Engineer  corps  arrived  in  Napaloncan,  bearing  with 
him  the  treaty  of  PEACE,  which  had  been  ratified  by 
the  Mexican  Congress  at  Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  on  the 
27th.  He  was  on  his  way  to  the  United  States,  and 
pushed  forward  with  all  possible  speed.  His  horse 
having  given  out,  was  replaced  by  Dumont's.  As 
we  were  all  engaged  to  serve  during  the  war,  this 
news  was  exceedingly  agreeable,  as  we  had  a  pros- 
pect of  once  more  getting  home — at  all  events  we 
should  get  away  from  "  Kapaloucan,  and  be  d — d 
to  it,"  as  one  of  our  boys  expressed  it. 

From  this  time  troops  continued  to  arrive  in  town 
from  above,  who  marched  on  without  delay  toward 
the  sea-coast.  Artillery  batteries,  heavy  siege-guns, 
etc.,  were  trundled  through,  and  life  and  health  were 
again  seen  in  the  distance.  On  the  5th  of  June  we 
received  orders  to  march,  and  the  following  day 
started  for  En  Cerro,  below  Jalapa,  where  we  were 
to  wait  until  a  sufficient  number  of  ships  arrived  at 
Yera  Cruz,  to  take  us  to  New  Orleans.  After  a 
pleasant  march  of  one  week's  duration,  we  arrived 
safely  at  En  Cerro,  where  we  found  a  number  of 
regiments  encamped,  all  waiting,  like  ourselves,  for 
means  to  get  home.  The  encampment  was  a  mag- 
nificent affair,  and  being  on  Santa  Anna's  own  farm 
it  was  considered  rather  romantic:  it  is  cajled  by  the 
Mexicans  Los  dos  Rios,  or  the  'two  rivers,'  and  is  a 
little  beyond  Mango  de  Clavo.  Santa  Anna's  favorite 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  291 

country  seat.  We  had  three  generals  on  the  ground, 
viz:  Major-General  Patterson,  and  Brigadier-Gen- 
erals Lane  and  Marshall,  and  I  believe,  Major-Gen. 
"William  O.  Butler,  who  was  at  that  time  a  candi- 
date for  vice-president  under  Cass,  was  also  there,  a 
part  of  the  time.  This  was  the  largest  body  of 
United  States'  volunteers  ever  assembled  together,, 

O  7 

and  consisted  of  the  following  regiments  and  corps, 
viz: 

1st  Massachusetts  Regiment,  Col.  J.  H.  Wright. 

2d  New  York  Regiment,  Col.  W.  B.  Burnett. 
New  Jersey  Battalion,  Lieut. -Col.  J.  "Woodruff. 

1st  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  Col.  F.  M.  "Wynkoop. 

2d  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  Col.  J.  W.  Geary. 
Maryland  and  D.  C.  Batt.,  Col.  G.  W.  Hughes. 

1st  S.  Carolina  Reg't.,  Lieut.-Col.  A.  H.  Gladden. 
Georgia  Cavalry  Batt.,  Lt.-Col.  J.  H.  Calhoun. 
Louisiana  Cavalry  Batt.,  Lt.-Col.  "W.  F.  Biscoe. 

4th  Tennessee  Reg't.,  Col.  R.  Waterhouse. 

5th  Tennessee  Reg't.,  Col.  G.  R.  McClelland. 

3d  Kentucky  Reg't.,  Col.  M.  V.  Thompson. 

4th  Kentucky  Reg't.,  Col.  J.  S.  "Williams. 

4th  Ohio  Reg't.,  Col.  C.  H.  Brough. 

5th  Ohio  Reg't.,  Col.  W.  Irwin. 

4th Indiana  Reg't.  Col.  W.  A.  Gorman. 

5th  Indiana  Reg't.,  Col.  J.  II.  Lane. 

6th  Illinois  Reg't.,  Col.  J.  Collins. 

This  large  force,  with  several  separate  companies, 
were  all  encamped  within  a  circuit  of  three  miles, 
and  in  the  beautiful  evenings  which  we  passed  at 
that  place,  the  music  of  the  different  corps  was 
superb.  Every  evening  the  drummers  and  fifers, 
over  two  hundred  in  number,  would  commence 


292  GEX.    LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

playing,  and  the  sounds  would  be  reverberated  over 
the   broad  plain   and  flowing  river,  and  die  away 
in    the    distance    amid    the    softest   and    sweetest 
echoes.      After  they   had  -finished,  the   regimental 
bands  marched  out  in  front  of  their  respective  regi- 
ments and  played  some  brilliant  airs.     In  the  clear 
and  pure  nights,  the  music  had  a  most  charming 
effect,  and  caused  us  all  to  feel  happy  with  ourselves, 
our  country,  and  Mexico.     There  is  something  soul- 
inspiring  when  half  a  dozen  well  organized  military 
bands  "peal  the  loud  drum,  and  twang  the  trumpet- 
horn,"  and  when  the  sounds  are  wafted  toward  you 
in  a  moonlight  evening,  on  a  breeze  fragrant  with 
the  odor  of  tropical  fruits  and  flowers,  a  man  with 
half  a  brain  is  inclined  to  become  very  well  contented. 
The  New  Yorkers   and  South  Carolinians,  who 
were  so  sadly  cut  to  pieces  at  the  city  of  Mexico, 
elicited  my  admiration,  though  I  could  not  but  feel 
a  pang  of  grief  when  I  looked  along  their  shattered 
and   diminished   lines.     The   New   York   regiment 
went  out  one  thousand  strong,  and  when  I  saw  it 
there  were  scarce  one  hundred  men  left.     They  had 
suffered  almost  unheard-of  hardships,  and  the  thunder 
crash  of  fifty  cannon  had  for  a  time  played  on  them 
alone.     Like  the  green  sedge  they  were  swept  away, 
and  crumbled  like  a  rope  of  sand  before  the  iron 
fires  of  the  Mexican  batteries.     The  wail  of  woe — 
the  shriek  of  keen  and  agonizing  anguish,  had  risen 
from  their  midst,  while  their  officers'  commands  were 
heard  wild   above   the   storm,  and   obeyed   by  the 
death-stricken  though  undismayed  soldiers.    I  visited 
the  regiment  often,  and  was  always  well  treated  by 
Major  Dykeman  and  the  other  officers.     In  fact  it 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  293 

seemed  like  home  to  be  with  them.  One  day  I  was 
sitting  in  Dykeman's  tent,  when  a  young  fellow  from, 
New  Orleans,  an  attache,  of  the  Delia  office,  came  in, 
and  told  a  story  which  elicited  a  great  deal  of  laugh- 
ter, and  which  I  will  give  as  near  as  possible  in  his 
own  words: 

"The  chivalrous  Colonel  D of  Louisiana," 

said  he,  "raised  a  regiment  of  six  months'  volun- 
teers, and  was  among  the  first  who  hurried  to  the 
assistance  of  Gen.  Taylor. 

"  The  Colonel  was  eager  for  a  fight,  and  he  knew 
he  had  but  little  time  to  train  his  men;  and  after 
frequent  false  alarms  of  'The  Mexicans!  The  Mexi- 
cans are  upon  us!'  he  got  them  so  they  could  form  a 
line  of  battle  with  very  little  confusion.  This  being 
accomplished,  the  next  step  in  learning  the  art  of 
•war,  was  to  learn  them  to  stand  a  charge  of  cavalry, 
which  was  by  no  means  a  difficult  job  for  a  com. 
mander  of  his  ingenuity;  and  the  following  is  the 
method  he  thought  likely  to  effect  so  desirable  a 
result : — 

"  One  morning  the  companies  were  all  marched 
to  the  parade-ground,  and  the  regiment  regularly 
formed.  The  Colonel  was  a  tremendous  large  man, 
and  was  mounted  upon  a  war-horse  whose  propor- 
tions were  well  suited  to  carry  such  a  rider;  his 
sword,  too,  was  a  ponderous  blade,  and  could  have 
been  wielded  in  a  fight  most  destructively  by  his 
muscular  arm. 

"  Such  a  man,  thus  equipped  and  mounted,  took 
command,  that  morning,  with  all  the  pride  and 
military  bearing  of  a  hero  of  a  hundred  battles. 

"After  ordering   his   regiment   through   varioufe 


294  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

evolutions,  he  formed  them  into  a  hollow  square,  and 
galloped  off  at  a  convenient  distance,  and  wheeled  his 
horse  and  stood  for  a  few  moments  gazing  with  admi- 
ration upon  his  noble-looking  regiment ;  then  with  a 
flourish  of  his  sword  over  his  head,  he  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  and  away  he  went  at  full  speed  and  ran  right 
upon  his  men,  and  they  broke  ranks  and  let  him  into 
the  square.  Then  followed  volleys  of  oaths  and  abuses, 
thick  and  fast.  'If  you  let  one  horseman  break  your 
ranks  in  this  way,  what  would  become  of  you  if 
yon  were  charged  by  a  body  of  Mexican  cavalry. 
Why  they  would  run  over  you,  tread  you  down,  and 
cut  you  to  pieces.' 

"He  then  ordered  them  back  into  lines,  and  re- 
peated the  maneuver,  but  not  with  the  same  success; 
for  they  all  had  their  bayonets  charged,  and  the  Col. 
ran  the  second  time  against  a  powerful  Irishman, 
Jimmy  Clary,  who  held  his  musket  firmly  braced, 
and  gritting  his  teeth,  ejaculated,  '  and  Jasus,  Colo- 
nel, I  can  niver  give  way!'  and  he  ran  about  six 
inches  of  his  bayonet  into  the  horse,  which  'brought 
him  up  standing,'  very  suddenly.  The  Colonel  dis- 
mounted, and  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction  playing 
upon  his  countenance,  surveyed  his  bleeding  steed, 
and  said  ;  'Well,  the  horse  did  his  duty — the  rider 
did  his — and  the  soldier  did  his — in  fact,  all  did 
well.'  And  thus  ended  the  first  lesson." 

The  last  time  I  saw  General  Lane  was  at  this 
place.  After  returning  to  the  United  States  he  was 
appointed  Governor  of  Oregon  Territory,  and  in 
August  set  out  to  commence  the  discharge  of  his 
official  duties.  He  arrived  safely  at  Oregon  City  on 
the  2d  of  March,  1849,  about  six  months  after  his 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

departure  from  home.  After  serving  some  time  as 
governor,  he  was  elected  delegate  to  Congress  from 
Oregon  Territory,  and  shortly  after  returned  to  the 
United  States,  and  met  with  a  public  reception  at 
Indianapolis,  Indiana.  Having  been  so  fortunate  in 
all  his  undertakings,  civil  and  military,  the  Demo- 
cratic Convention  of  Indiana,  unanimously  declared 
him  to  be  the  choice  of  that  State  as  candidate  for 
the  presidency,  and  accordingly  in  the  Democratic 
National  Convention,  he  received  thirteen  votes  of 
Indiana  and  one  of  Tennessee.  His  name  was  with- 
drawn by  his  friends,  and  General  Fierce  was  nomi- 
nated and  elected.  Lane  was  again  appointed 
Governor  of  Oregon,  in  the  spring  of  1853,  and 
after  serving  a  short  time  he  resigned  and  was  again 
elected  delegate  to  Congress.  Before  setting  out  for 
Washington  City,  the  Indians  became  very  trouble- 
some in  Oregon,  and  Lane  led  a  band  of  citizen 
soldiers  against  them.  On  the  24th  of  August,  1853, 
his  command  came  upon  the  Rogue  River  Indians, 
and  a  furious  fight  immediately  commenced.  The 
Indians  were  in  a  dense  forest  and  fought  with  tho 
utmost  desperation ;  their  yells,  the  howling  of  tho 
dogs,  and  the  sharp  continuous  crack  of  the  rifles, 
lasted  about  an  hour,  when  Gen.  Lane  with  his  men 
made  a  sudden  and  rapid  charge  upon  them,  and 
scattered  them  in  all  directions.  In  the  fight  Capt. 

Armstrong  and  privates  Bradley  and ,  were 

killed,  and  Gen.  Lane,  Col.  Alden,  privates  Hays, 
Abbe,  and  Fisher,  were  wounded.  Lane  was  shot 
through  the  shoulder,  making  the  second  ball-holo 
through  him,  the  first  having  been  received  at  tho 
great  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  In  the  afternoon  a  propo- 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

sition  came  from  the  Indians  for  a  parley,  they  having 
lost  twelve  killed  and  twenty  mortally  wounded, 
which  being  granted,  the  chiefs  came  into  the  Ameri- 
can camp  and  were  very  glad  to  make  a  treaty  of 
peace.  Lane  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  among 
the  Indians,  who  consider  him  the  bravest  man  now 
living.  The  General  always  treats  them  with  firm- 
ness and  kindness,  and  whenever  they  get  unruly 
he  is  willing  to  give  them  a  few  touches  of  discipline 
in  a  way  which  makes  a  lasting  impression  upon 
their  minds.  Lane  conducted  himself  admirably  in 
the  fight  and  won  the  praise  of  both  friends  and  foes. 
He  is  brave  and  generous  to  a  fault,  and  his  daring 
rashness  may,  unless  he  is  more  careful,  yet  cost 
him  his  life,  though  I  sincerely  hope  he  may  never 
fall  by  a  bullet. 

The  artillery  of  our  brigade  which  went  up  with 
us  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Puebla,  and  which  served  at 
Huamantla  and  Atlixco  under  Captain  Taylor  and 
Lieut.  Field,  I  saw  for  the  last  time  in  Puebla.  As 
both  of  these  ofiicers  met  an  untimely  death  on  board 
the  steamship  San  Francisco,  which  was  wrecked 
in  December,  1853,  I  cannot  forbear  giving  an  ac- 
count of  the  melancholy  occurrence.  The  steamship 
San  Francisco  left  the  harbor  of  New  York  on  the 
21st  of  December,  1853,  bound  to  San  Francisco 
via  the  straits  of  Magellan,  touching  at  Rio  Janeiro, 
Valparaiso,  and  Acapulco.  On  board  were  com- 
panies A,  B,  D,  G,  H,  I,  K  and  L,  of  the  third  re- 
giment of  United  States'  artillery,  amounting,  with 
the  non-commissioned  staff  and  band  of  the  regiment, 
to  over  five  hundred  men.  The  regiment  was  under 
command  of  Colonel  William  Gates,  and  with  it 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  297 

were  the  following  officers,  viz:  Brevet  Lieutenant 
Colonels  John  M.  Washington  and  M.  Burke;  Major 
Charles  S.  Merchant,  Brevet  Majors  George  Taylor 
and  F.  O.  "Wyse;  Surgeon  K.  S.  Satterlee,  assistant 
Surgeon  H.  K.  Wirtz;  Capt.  H.  B.  Judd,  Brevet 
Captain  H.  B.  Field.  First  Lieutenants  S.  L.  Fre- 
mont, L.  Looser,  W.  A.  Winder,  R.  H.  Smith  and 
G.  S.  Winder,  Second  Lieutenants  J.  Yan  Voorst, 
and  J.  O.  Chandler. 

Beside  these  officers  and  their  families,  Capt.  J. 
W.  T.  Gardiner  of  the  1st  dragoons  and  Lieut.  F. 
K.  Murray  of  the  United  States'  navy,  and  several 
other  passengers  were  on  board,  making  a  total  of 
over  seven  hundred  souls.  In  order  to  give  the 
reader  a  correct  account  of  the  wreck,  I  will  insert 
a  letter  written  by  Lieut.  W.  A.  Winder,  which 
was  published  in  the  New  York  papers. 

SHIP  THREE  BELLS, 
At  sea,  Friday,  Jan.  Qth,  1854. 

"The  steamer  San  Francisco,  as  you  are  aware, 
sailed  from  New  York  on  the  22d  of  December,  with 
United  States  troops,  bound  for  California.  The 
day  was  beautiful,  and  everj'thing  promised  a  plea- 
sant and  prosperous  voyage.  The  ship  was  well 
provided  with  everything  which  could  render  us 
comfortable,  and  every  luxury  that  could  be  procur- 
ed was  placed  on  board.  All  these  things,  together 
with  the  gentlemanly  and  efficient  officers  of  the 
ship,  and  pleasant  company  in  the  cabin,  served  to 
render  us  happy  and  contented.  But,  alas  for  all  hu- 
man calculations!  about  nine  o'clock  the  second  day 
out  a  gale  sprung  up  and  continued  to  increase  all 


298  GKN.  LANE'S  BKIGADK  IN 

night.  At  daylight  it  was  perfectly  frightful.  During 
the  night,  I  think  about  twelve,  our  engine  gave  out, 
and  soon  our  foremast  was  carried  away,  which  left  us 
at  the  mercy  of  the  wind  and  waves.  The  scene  in 
the  cabin  during  this  time  was  truly  distressing. 
Nearly  all  had  turned  out  of  the  staterooms,  despair 
depicted  on  the  countenances  of  all.  A  few  of  us 
who  occupied  the  upper  cabin,  left  it  and  went  below; 
and  well  it  was  for  us,  for  soon  after  day — I  think 
about  eight  o'clock  —  a  sea  broke  over  our  starboard 
wheel-house,  and  with  frightful  force  dashecT  against 
the  after-cabin,  carrying  away  all  of  the  cabin. and 
about  150  people,  among  whom  were  Col.  J.  M. 
Washington,  Maj.  Geo.  Taylor  and  his  wife,  Capt. 
H.  B.  Field,  and  Lieut.  Smith:  two  or  three  males 
and  females  who  were  unknown  to  me,  and  two 
citizen  passengers,  Mr.  Rankin,  our  sutler — the  other 
names  I  have  not  learned — were  swept  oft',  but  the 
return  wave  brought  them  back.  I  had  gone  below 
but  a  few  moments  before  this  terrible  crash,  and 
was  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  at  the  time.  I 
never  experienced  such  a  sensation  as  when  the 
water  came  pouring  into  the  cabin,  together  with 
the  debris  of  the  upper  cabin,  down  upon  my  head 
and  breast.  I  was  swept  across  the  cabin  with  ter- 
rible force,  but  after  three  attempts  succeeded  in  re- 
gaining my  feet.  I  supposed  that  the  ship  had 
broken  in  half,  and  that  we  were  fast  sinking.  I  fol- 
lowed after  some  I  saw  going  on  deck,  and  on  reach- 
ing it  my  blood  ran  cold  at  the  sight  of  the  poor 
fellows  struggling  among  the  fragments  in  the  sea; 
the  waves  were,  to  my  eyes,  frightful ;  we  could  ren- 
der no  assistance  whatever,  and  in  fact,  expected 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  299 

ourselves  that  we  should  go  clown  every  minute. 
With  great  difficulty  we  clung  to  the  deck,  the  sea 
making  a  perfect  breach  over  us,  and  the  cold  so 
great  that  an  hour  longer  must  have  finished  us. 
Close  by  me  was  Major  Wyse,  his  young  wife  and 
babe.  It  was  a  truly  heart-rending  sight;  the  poor 
child  must  have  been  nearly  frozen.  About  this 
time  Mr.  Melires,  the  first  officer  of  the  ship,  than 
whom  no  braver  seaman  lives,  came  aft  with  an  ax; 
this  not  only  surprised  me,  but  greatly  raised  my 
hopes.  I  watched  him  closely  until  he  approached 
the  only  remaining  mast.  He  attempted  to  cut  it 
away,  but  the  sea  ran  so  high  that  he  was  unable  to 
do  it.  This  was  the  first  time  I  was  aware  that  the 
ship  was  not  full  of  water.  Soon  after  this  our  gal- 
lant Commodore  Watkins  came  along.  I  asked  him 
what  our  chances  were;  he  replied,  "Good."  I  then 
determined  to  get  into  the  cabin. 

"The  sea  was  running  very  high  at  the  time,  and 
the  wreck  was  strewn  on  each  side,  with  pieces  of 
the  wreck  scattered  here  and  there,  with  men  and 
women  clinging  to  the  pieces  in  order  to  save  them- 
selves. In  a  few  moments  all  was  still,  none  of  them 
appearing.  TTot  a  sound  was  heard  except  the  dis- 
mal moaning  of  the  wind.  On  looking  around,  I 
saw  Lieut.  Murray  standing  at  the  mizzenmast.  I 
went  aft  to  him,  and  held  on  there  for  awhile,  until 
the  first  mate  came  to  cut  it  away,  which  he  failed 
in  doing  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the  sea.  I  then 
went  forward  to  where  I  was  first,  and  saw  Major 
"Wyse,  his  wife  and  child,  Lieuts.  Chandler,  Van 
Voorst  and  Dr.  Satterlee.  We  talked  over  our  chances 
for  escape,  and  all  came  to  the  conclusion  that  wo 


300  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

conld  not  survive  twenty  minutes.  At  that  time 
two  negroes  came  along  with  life-preservers,  and 
one  of  the  soldiers  handed  me  one;  but  it  was  so 
cold  that  we  thought  itjwould  be  only  prolonging 
our  misery,  and  thinking  that  the  vessel  would  go 
down  every  minute,  we  did  not  use  them.  The  sea 
was  making  a  breach  over  us  at  every  roll.  About 
this  time  we  discovered  that  there  were  many 
persons  in  the  lower  cabin  under  us,  principally 
ladies.  Two  or  three  of  us  were  determined  to  go 
down,  and  afterward  induced  Major  Wyse  to  go 
down  there,  with  his  wife  and  child.  We  found 
that  the  ship  was  not  in  as  bad  a  condition  as  we 
thought  she  was.  We  found  there  collected,  in  the 
after-part  of  the  cabin,  a  number  of  the  officers' 
ladies,  who  were  in  as  dry  a  place  as  they  could 
find.  A  portion  of  the  cabin  was  broken  by  the 
sea  that  first  struck,  as  I  previously  stated.  We 
then  covered  ourselves  up  with  wet  blankets,  for 
we  were  nearly  frozen,  not  having  half  our  cloth- 
ing on  at  the  time.  Here  we  remained  the  greater 
part  of  that  day,  supposing  the  vessel  would  sink 
some  time  during  the  evening.  Captain  Watkins 
came  in  and  requested  that  we  would  all  go  out 
to  bailing  the  ship,  in  order  to  keep  her  afloat. 
Two  officers  went  out  at  a  time,  and  they  were  re- 
lieved by  others,  each  party  bailing  two  hours  each. 
We  kept  this  up  all  that  night,  water  gaining  on  us, 
and  our  pumps  failing  to  work.  This  bailing  was 
kept  up  four  or  five  nights,  until  the  pumps  got  to 
working  again,  and  the  sea  went  down.  We  then 
gained  on  the  water,  and,  by  great  exertions  of  the 
engineer,  succeeded  in  clearing  the  ship  of  water  for 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  301 

the  time.  The  captain  and  officers  of  the  ship  with 
great  exertions  succeeded  in  stopping  the  worst 
leaks  and  repairing  the  decks  with  old  pieces  of  sails 
and  otherwise  patching  them  up  to  try  and  save  the 
ship.  We  kept  reliefs  of  three  or  four  men  at  each 
end  of  the  shaft  to  prevent  the  water  coming  in  there, 
where  it  came  in  by  the  bucketful.  About  this 
time  we  were  cheered  with  the  prospect  of  setting 
the  machinery  in  working  order,  so  that  the  vessel 
might  get  into  port.  A  temporary  steering  appara- 
tus was  erected,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  get  the 
ship  underweigh,  which  up  to  this  time  had  been  at 
the  mercy  of  the  waves.  After  one  or  two  revolu- 
tions of  the  wheel  it  was  pronounced  hopeless  to  at- 
tempt anything  further.  All  that  could  be  done, 
said  the  engineer,  was  to  keep  the  pumps  working. 
During  all  this  time  the  ladies  behaved  admirably 
and  no  complaint  was  made  by  them.  Two  or  three 
days  afterward  we  saw  two  sail;  one  of  them  did  not 
heed  us#  but  the  other  came  alongside  of  us  and 
spoke  us. 

"  The  one  that  spoke  us  first  was  the  Napoleon. 
The  captain  said  he  was  short  of  provisions,  and 
we  sent  him  off  a  quantity,  and  she  went  off  during 
the  night.  During  this  time  we  were  lightening  the 
ship  by  throwing  overboard  all  heavy  articles  that 
we  could  get  at.  We  made  ourselves  as  comfortable 
as  possible,  and  got  something  to  eat,  arid  began  to 
get  some  dry  clothes,  as  we  had  been  wet  for  nearly 
two  weeks.  The  next  ship  that  appeared  was  the 
British  brig  Maria;  but  she  took  none  of  the  pas- 
sengers from  us.  All  this  time  we  had  very  rough 
weather,  until  the  bark  Kilby  spoke  us.  An  officer 


302  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

•went  on  board  and  made  a  contract  to  take  all  the 
passengers  off  and  take  them  to  the  nearest  port. 
Captain  Watkins  stayed  behind,  to  make  one  efibrt 
to  save  the  ship.  He  called  for  volunteers,  and  in 
ten  minutes  he  had  the  number  required  to  stay  by 
him.  As  soon  as  some  of  the  passengers  arrived  on 
board  the  Kllby  we  sent  some  twenty  men  on  board 
to  lighten  his  vessel,  by  throwing  a  portion  of  the 
cargo  overboard.  About  two,  p.  M.,  we  commenced 
transhipping  the  ladies  and  children  in  small  boats, 
and  by  night  succeeded  in  getting  aboard  about  one 
hundred  in  all — men,  women  and  children — intend- 
ing to  complete  the  shipment  next  morning.  About 
seven  o'clock  we  were  alarmed  by  the  cry  of  fire, 
and  found  the  ship  to  be  on  fire  near  the  cook's  gal- 
ley ;  but  we  very  soon  put  it  out. 

u  Some  time  during  the  night  heavy  gales  sprang 
up,  accompanied  by  a  most  awful  sea,  and  the  ves- 
sel commenced  leaking  badly  again,  and  we  went  to 
work  bailing  that  night  and  a  part  of  the  next  day, 
the  pumps  at  this  time  giving  out  again.  The  men 
at  this  time  were  so  exhausted  that  it  required  great 
exertions  to  keep  them  steadily  at  work.  When  the 
morning  came  the  Kilby  was  no  longer  in  sight,  and 
we  supposed  that  she  had  made  for  the  nearest  port, 
being  short  of  water  and  provisions,  and  it  being 
unsafe  for  her  to  remain  any  longer  by  us,  as  the 
sea  was  running  very  high.  This  morning  things 
looked  gloomier  than  ever,  having  nothing  to  eat, 
and  being  cold  and  half  naked.  During  that  day, 
after  getting  through  working  the  pumps,  we  began 
to  get  better  spirits,  and  made  ourselves  as  comfort- 
able as  possible.  "We  kept  the  vessel  clear  without 


CENTHAL  MEXICO.  303 

the  aid  of  bailing.  We  then  cut  holes  through  the 
deck,  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  coal  and  other 
heavy  materials  overboard.  About  two  days  after, 
a  light  was  seen  during  the  night,  and  we  com- 
menced firing  guns  and  making  signals  every  half 
hour  during  the  night.  In  the  morning,  the  British 
ship  Three  jBells,  Captain  Creighton,  bore  up  to  us; 
but  the  sea  was  running  so  high,  and  the  wind 
blowing  so  hard,  we  could  only  communicate  to  each 
other  by  means  of  writing  in  large  letters,  on  a  board, 
our  condition  and  prospects.  He  replied  to  us,  and 
said  that  they  were  leaking  and  short  of  provisions. 
As  he  passed  us  he  gave  three  cheers,  which  made 
us  believe  he  would  stick  by  us,  and  we  returned 
them  heartily.  He  went  to  windward  of  us,  laid  to, 
and  remained  by  us  during  the  night.  The  next 
day,  the  sea  running  very  high,  and  he  having  only 
two  boats,  we  made  two  rafts,  in  order  to  make  some 
efforts  to  reach  his  vessel,  but  we  found  that  a  pas- 
sage on  the  raft  would  be  impracticable.  On  the 
third  night  we  came  very  near  losing  him.  On  the 
fourth  day,  another  sail  appeared  in  sight  to  wind- 
ward, and  both  bore  down  to  us,  which  proved  to  be 
the  Antarctic,  bound  for  Liverpool. 

"  Both  vessels  lay  by  us  during  the  night,  it  being 
too  rough  to  attempt  any  passage  with  the  boats. 
On  the  fifth  day  the  rough  weather  subsided,  and  wo 
succeeded  in  transporting  all  the  passengers,  all  the 
crew  and  ship's  officers,  except  twenty-five  or  thirty 
men,  including  ship's  officers  and  firemen.  During 
that  day  we  succeeded  in  putting  on  board  the  Three 
Bells  some  provisions  and  water.  I  kept  the  men 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

at  the  pumps  during  the  day  and  night.  The  next 
morning  we  got  off  the  remainder  of  the  officers  and 
crew,  including  Captain  "Watkins,  and  made  sail  for 
this  port.  The  Antarctic  sailed  for  Liverpool. 

''Previous  to  falling  in  with  the  Three  Bells,  a  sort 
of  congestive  diarrhea  broke  out  among. the  men, 
from  eating  potted  meat  and  pickled  cabbage.  It 
carried  off  about  one  hundred  of  the  passengers,  who 
were  taken  sick,  and  in  a  few  hours  died. 

"An  incident  occurred  at  this  time.  Corp.  Smith 
came  to  me  and  said  his  child  was  sick,  and  in  about 
an  hour  after  that  he  sent  word  to  me  and  said  he 
was  very  sick  himself,  and  would  like  to  see  me.  I 
went  to  him  and  found  that  he  was  about  dying ; 
soon  after,  his  wife  came  in,  and  told  me  that  he  and 
the  child  were  dead.  I  had  put  her  into  a  state- 
room, and  during  the  night  she  was  found  dead  in 
bed,  her  only  child,  then  living,  lying  asleep  beside 
her.  She  was  followed  to  the  other  world  soon  after 
by  her  other  child. 

"  On  our  passage  to  this  port  in  the  Three  Bells  we 
lost  about  thirty  passengers,  who  died  of  the  effects 
of  eating  pickled  meats  and  cabbage. 

"The  chief-steward  of  the  San  Francisco  became 
insane  while  on  board  the  Three  Bells,  and,  although 
in  charge  of  some  of  the  men,  he  managed  to  get 
loose,  jumped  overboard,  and  was  lost. 
"  Yours,  respectfully, 

"  LIEUT.  WINDER,  U.  S.  Army." 

About  two  hundred  and  twenty  lives  were  lost  in 
all,  including  Col.  "Washington,  Major  Taylor,  Capt. 
Field,  and  Lieut.  Smith. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  305 

The  New  York  Daily  Times  gives  the  following 
particulars  respecting  the  drowned  officers : 

"  Brevet  Lieut.-Col.  John  Marshall  Washington, 
of  the  U.  S.  army,  who  was  swept  from  the  deck  of  the 
San  Francisco  soon  after  her  troubles  commenced, 
was  one  of  the  most  useful,  as  he  had  made  himself 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  artillery  officers  be- 
longing to  the  service.  He  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  must  have  attained  the  age  of  fifty-eight 
or  sixty  years.  He  graduated  as  a  cadet  at  West 
Point,  in  the  class  of  1813 ;  was  commissioned  3d 
lieutenant  in  the  artillery,  in  1817,  and  rose,  rank 
by  rank,  to  his  majority  in  the  3d  artillery,  in  1847, 
February  16.  In  a  week  from  this  promotion  he 
won  his  brevet  as  lieutenant-colonel,  by  gallant  and 
meritorious  conduct  on  the  hotly-contested  field  of 
Buena  Vista.  He  was  a  thorough  tactician  in  the 
artillery  service,  and  as  early  as  1824  was  made 
instructor  in  the  artillery  school  for  practice  at  Fort 
Monroe. 

"After  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  Mexican  war,  in  1848,  Major  Washington 
was  appointed  to  command  an  expedition  across  the 
plains  of  Mexico,  via  El  Paso,  to  the  Pacific  ocean, 
which  he  accomplished  amidst  the  greatest  physical 
difficulties,  and  the  rigors  of  the  climate.  His  com- 
mand was  to  the  ninth  military  department,  and 
from  October,  1848,  to  October,  1849,  he  acted  as 
the  military  governor  of  New  Mexico.  He  has 
since,  we  believe,  been  chiefly  attached  to  the  ser- 
vice on  the  Pacific,  and  it  was  while  in  charge  of  an 
additional  artillery  force  destined  for  that  distant 
region,  that  he  lost  his  life,  on  an  element  and  by  a 
26 


306         GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m  MEXICO. 

calamity  so  different  from  the  scenes  of  danger  in 
which  it  had  been  his  pride  as  a  soldier  to  risk  it. 

"  Major  George  Taylor  was  a  cadet  of  the  class  of 
1833.  He  won  his  first  brevet,  that  of  captain,  in 
the  Florida  war,  in  1840,  and  was  commissioned 
captain  in  February,  1847.  In  1842  he  served  as 
assistant  professor  of  mathematics  at  West  Point. 
In  October,  1847,  he  won  his  brevet  of  major  by 
gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at  the  battle  of 
Huamantla,  in  Mexico  ;  and  in  the  same  month  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  action  at  Atlixco.  He  was  a 
native  of  Georgia.  Mrs.  Taylor  was  lost  with  him, 
from  the  wreck  of  the  San  Francisco. 

"  Captain  Horace  B.  Field  was  of  New  York,  a 
graduate  at  West  Point  of  the  class  of  1836.  He 
was  made  brevet  captain  for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct  in  the  battle  of  Huamantla,  in  Mexico,  in 
October,  1847.  He  first  entered  the  3d  artillery  in 
July,  1840,  as  a  second  lieutenant, 

"  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Smith  was  of  Tennessee, 
appointed  to  one  of  the  additional  infantry  regiments 
authorized  in  1847,  (the  fourteenth,)  as  a  second 
lieutenant,  and  was  transferred  to  the  3d  artillery  in 
June,  1848." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

March  Homeward — Passo  de  Ovejas — Vergara — Rain  and  Wind — 
Captain  Fravel — Company  loss — Steamship  Portland — At  Sea 
— Mississippi  River — First  Reception — Major-General  Zachary 
Taylor  —  James  Brackett,  Esq  —  Letters  —  Colonel  Humphry 
Marshall — Madison — Mustered  out  of  U.  S.  service. 

ON  the  18th  day  of  June,  1848,  our  regiment 
again  took  up  its  line  of  march  toward  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  in  a  severe  rain  storm.  Our  hearts  were  so 
light,  and  we  felt  so  much  elated  that  the  journey 
appeared  very  trifling.  "We  marched  as  far  as  Plan 
del  Rio,  though  we  did  not  start  until  near  noon, 
and  encamped  in  a  large  yard  where  we  found  some 
good  fellows  belonging  to  the  New  Jersey  battalion, 
who  were  there  engaged  in  making  a  road  across 
the  river  for  the  passage  of  the  troops,  as  the  bridge 
had  been  blown  up.  We  stayed  over-night,  and  the 
next  day  pushed  on  to  the  National  Bridge,  where 
we  had  plenty  to  eat,  and  good  lodgings  under  the 
shade  of  a  magnificent  old  tree,  whose  branches 
reached  out  to  a  great  distance  and  afforded  shelter 
for  a  great  many  of  our  men.  From  the  bridge  we 
marched  to  Passo  de  Ovejas,  where  finding  a  por- 
tion of  the  first  division,  we  were  obliged  to  halt 
until  they  took  shipping  at  Vera  Cruz,  as  they  would 
not  let  us  stay  on  the  sea-coast  on  account  of  the 
vomito  or  yellow  fever.  In  the  groves  at  Paseo  de 

(3C7; 


308  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

Ovejas  we  found  plenty  of  excellent  lemons,  and 
there  was  a  nice  stream  of  water  in  the  woods  where 
we  bathed  each  evening.  I  saw  a  large  alligator  in 
a  lagoon  near  me  one  day,  and  with  a  spasmodic 
effort  I  reached  the  shore  and  was  not  content  until 
I,  with  some  of  my  men,  had  dispatched  him.  I 
also  had  the  pleasure  of  eating  while  here,  one  of 
those  interesting  animals  called  Ant-eaters,  which 
was  maliciously  imposed  upon  me  by  one  of  my 
comrades,  as  a  raccoon.  I  asked  no  questions  as 
to  what  it  was  or  where  it  came  from  until  it  was 
devoured,  when  my  host  was  kind  enough  to  inform 
me  what  I  had  been  eating.  I  felt  rather  blank  at 
the  announcement  but  said  nothing  about  it.  I  also 
while  in  Mexico,  had  the  extreme  felicity  of  eating 
a  part  of  an  Armadillo  and  a  Guana,  the  latter  is  a 
large  green*lizard,  and  when  I  found  out  what  I  had 
been  doing,  I  felt  some  like  murdering  Tom  Silsbee, 
who  gave  it  to  me.  But  as  he  ate  it  with  great 
seeming  relish,  I  could  not  find  it  in  my  heart  to 
spoil  his  breakfast.  The  flesh  of  these  animals  or 
reptiles,  is  highly  prized  in  the  "West  Indies  and 
South  America,  and  is  eagerly  sought  after  by  the 
inhabitants  of  those  countries,  who  hunt  them  with 
dogs. 

After  a  stay  of  three  days  at  this  place  we  again 
set  out  and  marched  to  the  San  Juan  river,  where 
we  found  plenty  of  provisions  for  a  moderate  price. 
On  the  24th  of  June  we  resumed  our  march  and 
about  noon  came  in  sight  of  the  blue  waters  of  the 
Gulf.  The  scene  I  shall  never  forget,  and  the  thrill 
of  joy  that  bounded  through  my  veins  was  one  of 
the  most  delightful  I  ever  experienced.  For  more 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  309 

than  nine  long  months  we  had  been  shut  up  in  the 
interior  of  Mexico,  fighting,  marching,  and  suffer- 
ing, and  here  we  were  at  last 

"  By  the  deep  sea,  and  music  in  its  roar." 

With  our  caps  in  our  hands  we  hastened  down 
the  road  to  the  encampment  at  Vergara,  and  the 
same  evening  a  regiment  of  Tennesseeans  came  in. 
We  gave  three  cheers  at  the  sight  of  Yera  Cruz,  and 
pitched  our  tents  on  the  sand.  In  the  night,  the 
wind  and  rain  came  on,  and  a  clean  sweep  of  a 
huge  wave  from  the  Gulf  upset  our  tents  and  every- 
thing else,  and  we  all  ran  toward  the  sand-hills  in 
the  dark.  Morning  came  at  last,  and  all  were  found 
alive  except  one  poor  Tennessee  soldier  who  was 
drowned.  He  lay  quite  near  me  partly  covered  with 
sand  and  water,  his  glassy  eyes  staring  wildly  up- 
ward, and  his  ears  and  mouth  filled  with  sand. 
He  was  a  most  deplorable  looking  object,  and  lay 
some  time  without  any  body  coming  near  to  take 
care  of  the  body.  In  the  water  our  soldiers  were 
seen  fishing  out  their  guns  and  accouterments,  and 
at  each  successive  haul  a  burst  of  applause  would 
show  how  earnest  they  were  in  their  endeavors  to 
save  property.  Some  of  our  soldiers  loved  their  mus- 
kets with  great  devotion,  and  ornamented  them  with 
bits  of  ribbon  when  not  on  duty.  These  guns  were 
first  fished  out,  and  afterward  came  the  cartridge 
boxes,  knapsacks,  etc.  Soldiers  love  their  guns 
exactly  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  human  lives 
they  have  destroyed,  and  one  which  was  in  our  com- 
pany, which  was  known  to  have  caused  the  death  of 
five  individuals,  was  looked  upon  as  something 
almost  supernatural.  It  required  all  the  owner's 


310  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m 

time  to  keep  track  of  it,  and  he  never  let  it  go  oat 
of  his  hand  ten  minutes  at  a  time. 

On  Sunday  the  25th,  I  visited  the  city  of  Vera 
Cruz,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  several  old 
friends.  The  city  had  not  altered  much  since  I  was 
there  in  the  beginning  of  the  previous  autumn, 
except,  perhaps,  it  was  a  little  more  cleanly  and  not 
stowed  so  full  of  military  stores.  In  walking  along 
the  plaza  in  the  west  part  of  the  city,  on  which  the 
governor's  palace  fronts,  I  was  somewhat  astonished 
to  see  a  drove  of  culprits  coming  along  hitched 
together  by  their  wrists,  and  constituting  what  is 
called  a  "chain  gang."  These  worthies  passed  by 
me  in  silence  under  a  guard  of  soldiers.  They  were 
kept  to  clean  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  seemed,  so 
far  as  I  could  discover,  to  have  done  their  duty. 

I  returned  to  onr  encampment  and  mustered  the 
company  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf,  for  the  last  time 
in  the  Republic  of  Mexico.  Captain  Fravel  was 
then  very  sick,  and  did  not  long  survive  after  his 
return  to  the  United  States,  having  died  at  his 
father's  house  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  on  the  8th  day 
of  August,  1849.  Robert  Fravel  was  a  kind-hearted 
and  generous  man.  Open  as  the  sunlight  in  his 
disposition,  he  was  often  deceived  by  black-hearted 
villains,  who,  under  the  garb  of  friendship,  imposed 
upon  his  generosity.  He  was  kind  to  his  men,  whose 
friendship  he  enjoyed  in  an  eminent  degree,  and  left 
the  service  without  an  enemy.  Peace  to  his  ashes! 
The  rolling  drum  shall  no  more  wake  him  from  his 
slumbers,  or  the  sharp  crack  of  an  enemy's  rifle 
warn  him  of  his  danger.  Fravel  was  born  in  the 
old  State  of  Virginia,  and  with  a  pride  of  birth 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  311 

which  is  always  attached  to  the  sons  of  the  "Old 
Dominion,"  he  maintained  a  strictly  honest  and 
honorable  deportment  and  won  the  good-will  of  all. 
But  he  is  dead ! 

"  Soldier,  rest  I  thy  warfare  o'er, 

Sleep  the  sleep  that  knows  no  breaking, 
Dream  of  battle-fields  no  more, 

Days  of  danger,  nights  of  waking." 

Second  Lieutenant  Daniel  S.  Barber  was  missing 
at  Perote,  and  never  afterward  joined  the  company. 
I  have  understood  that  he  was  killed  by  the  Mexi- 
cans. How  it  is  I  cannot  say;  he  left  us,  and  I  never 
saw  him  afterward.  Second  Lieutenant  Allard  and 
myself,  were  the  only  officers  left  with  the  company, 
and  after  forming  my  men  on  the  beach  and  taking 
our  place  in  the  regiment,  my  heart  fairly  bled  as  1 
looked  along  our  shattered  line.  One  lieutenant, 
two  sergeants,  four  corporals,  one  musician,  and 
thirty -nine  private  soldiers,  were  lost  out  of  our  own 
company,  which  was  originally  but  ninety  strong — 
most  of  these  were  dead ;  and  directly  after  leaving 
the  service  many  more  were  added  to  this  list.  More 
than  half  of  our  men  were  lost  on  the  field  and  in 
the  dreary  army-hospitals.  It  was  a  sickening  sight, 
and  when  I  contrasted  our  appearance  with  what  it 
was  the  September  previous,  I  could  hardly  realize 
the  truth.  Then  we  were  nearly  all  young,  blithe, 
and  gay — now  we  were  crushed  and  spiritless.  "We 
had  no  recruits  in  our  company,  and  with  my  little 
band  even  as  they  were  then,!  would  not  have  been 
at  all  loth  to  march  into  battle.  Nearly  every  one 
had  been  wounded  or  was  suffering  from  disease; 
Btill  they  were  of  the  right  metal,  and  Uncle  Sam 


312  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

never  had  better  soldiers.  Should  any  of  them  ever 
read  these  pages,  I  hope  they  will  accept  my  warmest 
and  most  heartfelt  wishes  for  their  welfare. 

On  Monday,  the  26th  of  June,  we  marched  to  the 
city  of  Yera  Cruz,  and  six  companies  of  our  regiment 
marched  on  board  the  large  and  splendid  steamship 
Portland ;  the  companies  were  lettered  B,  D,  F,  G, 
H  and  I,  and  soon  after  were  speeding  our  way 
toward  the  United  States,  leaving  the  proud  city  of 
Yera  Cruz,  and  the  castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa,  far 
in  the  distance.  Colonel  Gorman  and  Lieut. -Col. 
Dumont  were  both  on  board.  The  other  companies, 
A,  C,  E  and  K,  were  under  command  of  Major 
McCoy,  and  crossed  the  gulf  on  board  the  ship  Su- 
viah.  The  fourth  regiment  of  Ohio  volunteers  crossed 
on  board  the  bark  Alexandre  and  the  ship  Edgar. 

Our  good  steamer  plowed  the  blue  waters  of  the- 
Gulf  "like  a  thing  of  life,"  and  seemed  anxious  to 
land  us  as  soon  as  possible  at  New  Orleans.  The 
sparkling  waves  danced  beneath  her  even  keel, 
while  she  swung  slowly  and  gracefully  along,  keep- 
ing time  to  the  hoarse  puffings  of  the  engines.  A 
sweet  southwest  breeze  came  floating  over  the  waters, 
laden  with  life  and  health,  and  seemed  to  invigorate 
us  again,  while  the  songs  of  home  and  future  hap- 
piness were  being  sung  by  our  soldiers,  who  were 
congregated  together  forward  and  below. 

The  second  day  out  at  sea  a  bird  flew  on  board. 
He  had  been  driven  far  out,  probably  by  a  gale,  and 
sought  our  spars  as  a  place  of  rest.  No  one  was 
allowed  to  disturb  him,  and  in  the  morning  he  flew 
away.  I  pitied  the  poor  little  wanderer,  and  wished 
him  a  safe  return  to  the  land.  He  had  a  long  jour- 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  313 

ney  before  him,  and  from  the  decks  of  our  ship 
nothing  could  be  seen  except  the  dark  waves  crested 
with  foarn  and  the  gleaming  sky,  with  here  and 
there  a  light  cloud-belt  stretching  in  the  distance. 
About  the  third  day  out,  we  had  a  heavy  storm  of 
wind  and  rain,  and  our  craft  hugged  up  to  it, 
and  shook  its  smoky  mane  as  though  it  relished 
the  sport.  The  rain  fell  in  a  perfect  avalanche 
and  soon  the  whole  deck  was  covered.  A  mighty 
wave  slipped  us  nearly  at  the  same  time,  and 
rushing  backward  broke  against  the  cabin  doors, 
leaping  upward  and  falling  again  in  a  perfect  cata- 
ract. J  icutenant  Lewis  and  myself  were  forward, 
and  ?oi'ing  a  belaying  pin,  I  held  on  till  the  wave 
had  passed,  and  on  looking  around  I  saw  him 
making  a  porpoise  of  himself  by  rolling  in  the  salt 
sea-vater  in  the  lee  scuppers.  "We  were  both  thor- 
ough'y  drenched,  and  Lewis  was  a  most  pitiful 
sigh/  when  he  got  into  the  cabin  together.  Having 
got  CM  dry  clothes  we  were  once  more  comfortable, 
and  helped  to  get  the  poor  sick  boys  who  were  lying 
on  deck,  into  better  quarters. 

A  " Georgia  major's  uniform"  would  have  been 
the  most  becoming  apparel  in  the  afternoon,  if  we 
had  had  any  on  hand,  but,  not  being  able  to  procure 
shirt-collars  or  spurs,  we  were  obliged  to  forego  the 
luxury.  I  think  this,  because  it  was  so  excessively 
warm,  and  light  clothing  would  have  been  in  the 
highest  degree  appropriate. 

My  fellow  officers   on    board   were  remarkably 

silent  and  demure,  which  was,  I  believe,  accounted 

for  on  the  score  of  sea-sickness;  however  this  may 

be,  they  kept  very  quiet  and  were  content  to  lie  in 

27 


314:  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

their  berths  and  ask  no  questions.  Early  on  the 
morning  of  the  1st  day  of  July,  1848,  we  came  in 
sight  of  the  Louisiana  coast,  and  the  low  swamps 
with  wild  and  rank  grass  growing  among  the  many 
islands  that  form  the  Balize  became  distinctly 
visible.  Soon  after  this  the  form  of  the  lighthouse 
loomed  up  in  the  distance,  and  passing  a  little  pilot- 
boat  we  pushed  forward  and  were  shortly  after,  as 
good  luck  would  have  it,  in  the  broad  and  dark 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

After  running  up  the  river  some  distance,  we 
passed  a  large  and  most  magnificent  planters 
house;  when  we  came  opposite  to  it,  three  girls 
came  running  toward  us  at  full  speed ;  the  eldest, 
(who  by  the  way,  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
women  I  ever  saw,)  waved  her  handkerchief  toward 
us,  and  gave  us  three  cheers,  in  which  she  was  joined 
by  the  other  two,  who  appeared  to  be  her  sisters ; 
the  cheering  was  more  musical  than  the  warbling 
of  birds,  and  God  knows  I  shall  never  forget  it. 
Our  men  returned  the  cheers  with  a  zest  and  feeling 
which  I  had  never  heard  before.  They  seemed  per- 
fectly carried  away  with  excitement,  and  as  long  as 
the  ladies  were  in  sight,  they  kept  it  up. 

This,  thought  I,  is  a  pretty  fair  reception  on  our 
return  to  our  native  shores,  and  if  it  holds  out.  it 
will  pay  pretty  well  for  "  seeing  the  elephant."  On 
we  went,  now  passing  some  fine  old  building  covered 
with  creeping  vines  and  honeysuckles,  and  then  by 
little  settlements,  called  "negro  quarters,"  where 
the  slaves  of  the  plantations  are  kept.  The  "coast" 
looked  beautiful,  in  its  summer  garb,  and  it  was  just 
about  one  year  since  AVC  had  passed  it,  on  our  way 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  '316 

to  Mexico.  Along  the  muddy  banks  of  the  river, 
we  saw  a  number  of  alligators  crawling  slowly  in 
the  mud,  and  leaving  a  track  like  that  made  by 
dragging  along  a  saw-log.  Some  time  after  noon 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  steeples  and  spires  of  the 
"Crescent  city,"  and  shortly  afterward  dropped 
our  anchor. 

In  the  evening  of  July  1st,  the  steamship  moved 
up  to  Carrol  ton,  and  the  soldiers  encamped  on  the 
race-course  again,  in  the  very  spot  where  they  had 
been  encamped  the  year  before.  Feeling  somewhat 
anxious  to  get  into  a  comfortable  place  to  stay,  I 
went  to  the  St.  Charles  hotel,  where  1  found  excel- 
lent accommodations,  and  did  not  go.  up  from  New 
Orleans  to  Carrol  ton,  until  the  day  previous  to  the 
departure  of  our  regiment  up  the  river.  While  in 
New  Orleans,  I  became  acquainted  with  Major  Gen- 
eral Zachary  Taylor,  who  was  then  a  candidate,  and 
was  afterward  elected  president  of  the  United  States. 
He  was  a  stout,  well-built  man,  and  reminded  me 
very  much  of  my  father,  whom  he  greatly  resembled 
in  personal  appearance.  The  old  gentleman  was 
kind  and  affable,  though  he  did  not  talk  a  great 
deal,  and  seemed  rather  to  avoid  entering  into  con- 
versation. His  history  is  now  a  portion  of  the  his- 
tory of  our  country,  and  I  shall  not  therefore  give  a 
detail  of  it.  He  spent  the  greater  portion  of  his  life 
in  the  South  and  West,  and  was  stationed  for  many 
years  at  Fort  Armstrong,  on  Hock  Island,  in-  the 
Mississippi,  and  also  at  Fort  Crawford,  Prairie  du 
Chien,  on  the  same  river.  He  was  actively  engaged 
in  the  "  Black -Hawk  war,"  and  commanded  the  1st 
regiment  of  infantry  at  the  battle  of  Bad-Ax.  I 


316  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

was  on  the  Bad-Ax  battle-ground  in  the  summer 
of  1852,  while  on  my  way  up  to  Minnesota  Territory 
on  a  pleasure  excursion,  and  learned  a  number  of 
facts  connected  with  the  battle.  It  was  fought  on  a 
point  of  land  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Bad-Ax 
river  with  the  Mississippi.  The  engagement  took 
place  on  the  2d  of  August,  1832,  and  the  Sac  and 
Fox  nation  of  Indians,  under  Black-Hawk  and  Neo- 
pope,  was  almost  totally  annihilated.  The  American 
force  was  under  command  of  Brevet  Brigadier-Gen. 
Atkinson,  and  numbered  about  twenty-tive  hundred 
men.  The  Indians,  numbering  about  one  thousand, 
with  a  few  women  and  children  still  remaining  with 
them,  quietly  awaited  for  the  attack,  and  being 
newly  painted  with  war-paint,  and  adorned  with 
war-eagles'  plumes,  these  grim  warriors  presented  a 
martial  and  picturesque  appearance.  As  the  Ameri- 
cans approached,  Black-Hawk  divided  his  command, 
Neopope  taking  charge  of  a  portion  and  moving 
down  the  river  a  short  distance,  while  he  remained 
at  the  encampment.  The  ground  which  they  occu- 
pied was  covered  with  a  growth  of  rank  weeds, 
bushes,  and  heavy  timber.  After  they  had  taken 
their  positions,  many  of  the  Sank  warriors  com- 
menced singing  their  wild  death-songs,  and  pre- 
pared to  die  fighting  for  the  graves  and  homes  of 
their  ancestors.  Black -Hawk  moved  about  among 
them  like  the  genius  of  destruction,  inciting  them 
to  meet  death  fearlessly,  and  telling  them  that  the 
Great  Spirit  knew  that  their  cause  was  just,  and  the 
whites  would,  some  day,  atone  for  spilling  their 
blood.  The  whole  American  line  lapping  around 
the  Indian  camp,  swept  forward  like  a  wall  of  fire, 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  317 

and  the  Indians  were  at  once  defeated.  Some  of 
the  Sauks  jumped  into  the  river,  and  attempted  to 
save  themselves  by  swimming;  but  the  Sioux  In- 
dians were  at  war  with  them,  and  as  fast  as  they 
reached  the  west  bank  they  met  death  from  their 
hands.  One  poor  squaw  swam  across  the  river  and 
carried  her  child  in  her  teeth.  Taylor  was  in  the 
battle,  and  to  him  Black-Hawk  afterward  surren- 
dered at  Prairie  du  Chien.  I  saw  a  great  many 
Sioux  above  the  battle-ground,  and  could  not  but 
hate  them  for  their  cruelty  to  the  friendless  and 
miserable  Sauks. 

Taylor  afterward  went  to  Florida,  and  fought  the 
Seminole  Indians  with  a  great  deal  of  success.  At 
the  battle  of  Okeechobee,  fought  December  25th, 
1837,  he  displayed  great  bravery,  and  defeated  the 
Indians  with  considerable  slaughter. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  my  interview  with  the 
old  hero,  and  left  him  with  a  high  opinion  of  him. 
He  was  made  president ;  but  the  atmosphere  of 
Washington  was  too  much  for  him  ;  the  moral  pes- 
tilence which  reigns  supreme  there  found  no  home 
in  him,  and  he  sunk  beneath  it. 

"  The  old  man  is  gone,  rich  in  honor  and  years, 

A  long  life  of  glory,  though  still  far  too  brief, 
His  foes  are  now  silent,  his  friends  are   in  tears, 
And  the  murmur  of  party  is  smothered  in  grief." 

It  is  always  affecting  to  see  an  old  man  die,  he 
lays  down  so  calmly,  and  sleeps  so  quietly.  God's 
greatest  work  in  him  finds  rest.  My  old  grandfather, 
(John  Ely,  of  Philadelphia,)  died  while  I  was  in  the 
service.  He  was  then  ninety  years  gf  age.  In  one 


318  GKN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE   IN 

of  his  letters,  which  I  received  at  Mier.  which  was 
written  a  short  time  previous  to  his  decease,  he 
says  to  me — "  I  am  your  grandfather;  and  it  is  now, 
(June,  1847.)  just  seventy-two  years  ago  that  I  was 
a  brave  soldier  in  the  regular  continental  army,  un- 
der the  immediate  eye  of  Washington.  Do  your 
duty,  and  I  hope  to  see  you  clothed  with  honor  and 
truth."  He  was  a  brave  old  man,  and  I  never  saw 
him  afterward.  His  brother,  (Aaron  Ely,  my  great- 
uncle,)  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  by 
the  British. 

I  also  had,  while  in  the  service,  frequently  letters 
from  my  dear  and  kind  father  and  mother.  They 
were  both  old,  and  felt  a  deep  interest  in  me,  as  I 
was  their  youngest  son.  My  father  was  far  from 
being  a  military  man ;  but  still  he  wished  to  see  the 
honor  of  his  country  maintained,  and  was  proud  to 
say  that  he  had  two  sons  who  served  in  the  Mexican 
war.  Though  wholly  unacquainted  with  military 
matters,  the  following  advice,  which  he  gave  me 
in  one  of  his  letters,  could  not  have  been  given 
better  by  an  old  campaigner.  Under  date  of  August 
llth,  1847,  he  writes  as  follows:  ..  ; 

"We  have  heard  nothing  from  you  since  you  left 
New  Orleans,  and  then  only  a  paper  from  you ;  and 
we  are  now  anxious  to  hear.  We  suppose  and  trust 
that  you  arrived  safely  at  your  destination,  and  are 
now  undergoing  the  necessary  discipline  to  make 
you  a  good  intelligent  soldier.  Obedience  to  your 
superiors,  and  kindness  and  courtesy  to  your  in- 
feriors, are  essential  to  your  happiness  and  ad- 
vancement. The  first  is  hard  topractico;  the  last 
the  necessary  result  of  generous  brave  notions. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

Share  your  last  crust  with  the  noble  soldier  under 
your  command,  and  in  the  hour  of  peril,  and  upon 
the  downy  bed  of  ease  you  will  find  your  account 
and  compensation  in  it." 

I  tried  to  follow  out  his  advice  and  found  that  I 
derived  a  great  deal  of  benefit  from  it.  He  instilled 
into  the  minds  of  his  children  the  same  ardent 
patriotism  and  aversion  to  tyranny,  which  had  been 
given  to  him  by  his  father,  who  was  an  officer  of 
the  American  army  during  the  revolution,  and 
which  he  had  learned  in  that  memorable  struggle. 
In  fact,  James  Brackett  had  many  warm  personal 
friends,  and  very  few  enemies.  In  a  biographical 
sketch  of  him,  written  by  Hon.  Levi  Beardsley, 
justice  has  been  clone  to  his  memory.  He  died  at 
Kock  Island,  Illinois,  on  the  18th  day  of  May,  1852, 
and  my  mother  followed  him  on  the  10th  of  October, 
1853. 

"  After  life's  fitful  fever  they  sleep  well." 

On  the  3d  of  July,  I  went  up  to  Carrolton,  and 
found  the  men  all  doing  quite  well,  though  some  of 
them  were  ill,  and  symptoms  of  yellow  fever  had 
begun  to  make  their  appearance.  It  was  just  one 
year  from  the  time  we  had  landed  there  before,  and 
the  six  companies  which  crossed  the  Gulf  on  board 
of  the  steamship  Portland,  were  sent  on  board  of 
the  steamboat  Bulletin  on  the  same  afternoon.  The 
boat  was  a  very  large  one,  and  the  accommodations 
on  board  were  good.  There  were  a  few  ladies  in  the 
ladies'  cabin,  one  of  whom  attracted  a  fair  share  of 
the  attention  of  our  officers,  both  on  account  of  her 
beauty,  and  because  she  was  married  to  a  man  whom 
she  hated  heartily.  The  poor  ybnng  girl,  who  wi\3 


320  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

rich  and  beautiful,  looked  thoroughly  heart-broken, 
and  I  pitied  her  when  I  saw  her  moving  about  appar- 
ently more  dead  than  alive. 

I  had  a  severe  attack  of  sickness  on  board  of  the 
boat  and  consequently  was  unable  to  take  many 
observations  of  passing  events.  The  scenery  on  the 
lower  Mississippi  is  at  all  times  fine  looking,  but 
dressed  in  its  summer  garb  it  possesses  increased 
attractions.  Through  the  kind  care  of  some  soldiers 
of  my  company,  I  was  soon  up,  and  by  the  time  we 
arrived  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  river  was  quite  well. 
Col.  Humphry  Marshall  of  Kentucky  was  on  board 
of  the  boat  some  time,  and  I  became  somewhat 
acquainted  with  him.  fle  commanded  a  regiment 
of  Kentucky  cavalry  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista. 
Col.  William  H.  Bissell,  of  the  2d  Illinois  regiment, 
I  became  acquainted  with  in  New  Orleans  in  the 
summer  of  1847;  he  served  at  Buena  Vista  and  lost 
in  that  battle  one  captain  and  eleven  lieutenants 
killed,  and  three  captains  and  four  lieutenants 
wounded.  No  regular  regiment  during  the  war 
suffered  half  as  much  in  any  one  battle.  The  loss 
to  his  regiment  was  really  frightful. 

From  Louisville,  Kentucky,  we  went  up  the  Ohio 
river  to  Madison,  Indiana,  where  we  arrived  in 
safety  about  the  10th  or  llth  of  July,  1848.  Our 
regiment  had  done  considerable  service,  and  received 
the  thanks  of  the  president  and  the  secretary  of 
war.  The  Hon.  William  L.  Marcy,  who  was  at  that 
time  at  the  head  of  the  war  department,  in  his  re- 
port to  the  president,  dated  December  2d,  1847,  thus 
speaks  of  our  operations  : 

"  After  the  main  body  of  our  army  had  moved  on 


CENTRAL  MEXICO. 

the  city  of  Mexico,  the  small  garrison  at  Pnebla, 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Childs,  sustained  a  close 
and  continued  siege  for  twenty-eight  days,  by  a  vastly 
superior  force.  The  number  of  assailants  brought 
against  this  small  garrison  was  at  one  time  eight 
thousand,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Gen. 
Santa  Anna.  The  siege  was  signalized  through  its 
whole  course  by  successive  attacks  at  various  points, 
successfully  repelled. 

"  The  report  of  the  commander  of  the  garrison, 
herewith  presented  to  your  consideration,  is  another 
'testimonial  of  the  gallantry  and  the  patient  endur- 
ance of  our  officers  and  men  under  the  severest 
trials,  which  cannot  fail  to  exalt  the  character  of  our 
army  at  home,  and  diffuse  its  renown  wherever 
heroic  deeds  are  justly  appreciated. 

"  After  the  Mexican  army  was  so  signally  defeated 
and  driven  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  Gen.  Santa 
Anna  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  another  field. 
With  a  force  of  four  thousand  men  and  six  pieces  of 
artillery,  he  prepared  for  an  attack  on  the  train  and 
troops  which  Brigadier- General  Lane  was  conducting 
to  the  head-quarters  of  the  army.  Apprised  of  this 
design,  and  learning  that  the  enemy  was  at  Hua- 
mantla,  General  Lane  proceeded,  on  the  9th  of 
October,  with  a  considerable  detachment,  to  attack 
him  and  disperse  his  troops.  The  encounter  between 
this  detachment  and  the  enemy  was  brilliant;  the  con- 
duct of  our  officers  and  men  sustained  the  high  charac- 
ter which  they  have  everywhere  won  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war.  The  enterprise  was  carried 
out  with  complete  success.  The  force  under  Gen. 
Santa  Anna  was  dispersed  ;  two  of  his  canaon  were 


GEN.    LANE'S   BRIGADE  IN 

captured ;  two  of  his  aids-de-camp  made  prisoners, 
and  the  city  of  Huamantla  taken. 

"  Being  informed  that  a  considerable  force  of  the 
enemy  \vas  at  Atlixco,  under  General  RcVs  com- 
mand, General  Lane  resolved  to  strike  at  thorn. 
The  execution  of  his  design  required  a  long  and 
'tedious  march  ;  it  was  performed  in  a  highly  credit- 
able manner;  the  enemy  was  encountered,  routed, 
and  pursued  to  a  considerable  distance,  with  a  loss 
of  two  hundred  and  nineteen  killed,  and  three  hun- 
dred wounded,  and  the  city  of  Atlixco  captured. 
For  the  details  of  these  very  successful  operations,- 
and  the  instances  of  individual  courage  and  dis- 
tinguished conduct  on  the  part  of  our  officers  and 
soldiers,  I  respectfully  refer  you  to  the  reports  of 
Genera1.  Lane,  herewith  transmitted. 

"  There  have  been  also  many  severe  conflicts 
between  detachments  of  our  troops  and  the  guerril- 
leros  along  the  lines  of  our  communications,  almost 
invariably  with  results  highly  creditable  to  our  arms. 
Those  in  which  the  small  command  of  Major  Lally 
was  engaged,  in  its  arduous  march  from  Vera  Cruz 
to  Jalapa,  were  of  a  character  which  merit  special 
notice.  The  formidable  difficulties  it  met  and  over-, 
came  at  successive  points  in  the  route,  attest  the 
ability  of  the  officers  and  the  bravery  of  the  troops 
composing  this  detachment.  The  particular  inci- 
dents of  this  march,  and  the  creditable  conduct  of 
the  officers  and  men,  are  presented  in  the  accom- 
panying report  of  the  commanding  officer." 

Again  in  his  report  for  the  next  year,  Lane's  sub- 
sequent operations  are  thus  spoken  of: 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.   .  323 

"  WAR  DEPARTMENT,  December  1,  1848. 

The  account  of  our  military  operations, 
contained  in  the  last  annual  report  from  this  depart- 
ment, left  our  troops,  late  in  October,  1847,  in  pos- 
session of  the  capital  of  Mexico,  and  many  other 
important  places  in  that  country.  The  main  achieve- 
ments of  our  armies  for  that  year  were  then  pre- 
sented to  your'consideration,  but  others,  of  a  subse- 
quent date,  highly  creditable  to  those  engaged  in 
them,  though  of  a  less  important  character,  deserve 
notice  and  commendation. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  22d  of  November,  Gen. 
Lane  moved  from  Puebla  with  a  command  of  only 
one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  upon  Matamoros.  dis- 
tant about  fifty-four  miles,  in  twelve  hours.  The 
place  was  immediately  attacked,  and  the  enemy, 
consisting  of  from  four  hundred  to  six  hundred  men, 
put  to  flight,  with  a  loss  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  iu 
killed  and  wounded.  A  quantity  of  ordnance  and 
munitions  was  captured,  and  twenty-one  American 
prisoners  liberated.  On  its  way  back  to  Puebla,  the 
detachment  was  attacked  by  a  Mexican  force  of  about 
five  hundred  men,  under  Gen.  Rea.  After  a  short  con- 
flict, the  enemy  were  routed  and  dispersed,  sustaining 
a  further  loss  of  about  fifty,  in  killed  arid  wounded. 

"In  January,  an  expedition,  composed  of  four 
companies  of  Texan  rangers,  two  companies  of  the 
3d  dragoons,  and  one  of  the  mounted  rifle  regiment, 
all  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Lane,  were  sent  out 
from  the  city  of  Mexico,  '  to  scour  the  country,  and 
drive  the  guerrillas  from  the  roads.'  Having  ascer- 
tained that  Santa  Anna,  with  a  few  regular  troops, 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

and  a  considerable  irregular  force,  was  at  Tehuacan, 
the  detachment  moved  rapidly  on,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  that  place.  So  sudden  was  its  approach,  that 
Santa  Anna  had  barely  lime  to  save  himself  by  a 
precipitate  flight.  The  expedition  pressed  on  to 
Orizaba  and  Cordova,  and  took  possession  of  these 
towns,  capturing  a  quantity  of  public  property,  and 
releasing  a  number  of  American  prisoners.  After 
remaining  a  short  time,  and  restoring  to  the  owners 
private  property  there  deposited,  which  had  been 
seized  by  guerrilla  bands,  it  returned  to  the  main 
column  of  our  army,  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  on  the 
9th  of  February.  On  the  17th  of  the  same  month, 
General  Lane  led  another  detachment,  consisting  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  Texan  rangers,  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty  dragoons  of  the  3d  regiment, 
against  the  guerrilleros,  who  were  infesting  the 
country  lying  north  and  northeast  of  the  city  of 
Mexico.  On  the  25th  he  encountered  a  body  of  the 
enemy  at  Sequalteplan,  and  after  a  severe  conflict, 
the  town  was  taken,  and  the  hostile  forces  dispersed, 
with  the  loss  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and 
more  than  fifty  prisoners. 

"The  command  of  Gen.  Lane,  on  these  occasions, 
displayed  much  enterprise,  spirit  and  gallantry." 

Our  regiment  encamped  below  the  town,  though 
the  officers  and  some  of  the  men  took  up  quarters 
in  the  different  hotels  of  the  city.  I  cannot  say  that 
our  reception  was  very  enthusiastic,  and  if  the  truth 
must  be  told,  the  people  of  other  States,  treated  us 
with  more  demonstrations  of  joy,  than  did  our  own 
State  people.  Why  this  was  I  cannot  &ay,  but  wi& 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  325 

the  exception  of  a  few  cannon  explosions,  which 
were  fired  at  Jeffersonville,  no  sounds  of  welcome 
were  heard  on  our  return  from  the  wars. 

After  a  stay  of  about  one  week's  duration,  our 
company  was  ordered  to  form  for  the  purpose  of 
being  mustered  out  of  service.  My  brother  Charles 
had  come  down  to  Madison  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
me  mustered  out  of  service,  and  to  help  me,  if  neces- 
sary, as  he  had  heard  of  my  recent  illness.  Our  men 
looked  rather  battered,  or  in  other  words  "hard." 
Their  uniforms  were  pretty  much  tattered  to  pieces 
from  constant  exposure  to  the  prickling  thorns  of 
the  chapparel  bushes,  through  which  we  had  passed 
on  our  last  march.  Major  Patrick  H.  Gait,  of  the 
3d  regiment  of  artillery  wras  acting  inspector  general, 
and  reviewed  us  on  that  occasion.  Major  Gait  was 
a  good  officer,  and  commanded  his  regiment  at  the 
battles  near  the  city  of  Mexico.  He  is  now  dead. 

Our  company  was  formed  for  the  last  time  on  the 
16th  of  July,  1848,  and  after  going  through  the 
necessary  formula,  Major  Gait  told  us  that  oiir  dis- 
charges would  be  made  out  that  evening.  I  made 
a  speech  to  my  company,  which  as  it  was  my  first 
and  last  one  might  have  been  worthy  of  being  pre- 
served, but  like  everything  else  it  is  gone,  and  I  have 
no  record  of  it.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  it  was  received 
w;ith  cheers  by  my  men,  and  each  and  every  one  of 
them  gave  me  his  hand.  The  big  tears  rolled  down 
their  cheeks,  and — need  I  be  ashamed  to  own  it — I 
am  sure  my  eyes  were  not  dry.  "God  bless  you 
boys,"  said  I,  and  many  a  stout-hearted  lad  replied, 
u  God  bless  you,  lieutenant." 

On  the  16th  day  of  July,  1848,  I  was  honorably 


326  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

discharged  from  the  United  States'  service,  by  reason 
of  expiration  of  my  term,  and  the  next  day  left  Madi- 
son for  New  York. 


LIST 

OF   THE 

KILLED,  WOUNDED  AND  MISSING,  IN  GENERAL  LANE'S 
BRIGADE,  IN  MEXICO. 

Report  of  the  killed  and  wounded  of  the  command  of 
Major  F.  T.  LALLY,  one  thousand  strong,  on  the  march 
from  Vera  Cruz  to  Jalapa,  from  the  6th  to  the  20th  of 
August,  1847. 

At  the  affair  of  Passo  de  Ovejas,  August  \Qtfi,  1847. 

MORTALLY     WOUNDED. 

Private  John  S.  Lynch,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 

WOUNDED. 

Capt.  James  H.  Caldwell,  voltigeurs,  in  the  ear. 

Capt.  Arthur  C.  Cummings,  llth  infantry. 

Sergeant  Abiu  A.  Selover,  of  the  3d  dragoons. 

Corporal  Cornelius  Neighbors,  voltigeurs. 

Corporal  R.  J.  Terrill,  of  Loyall's  company,  Georgia  mounted 
volunteers. 

Private  John  Costly,  of  Loyall's  company,  Georgia  mounted 
volunteers. 

Corporal  Hamilton  W.  Worden,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 

Private  John  Hubbs,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 

Private  Wm.  P.  Campbell,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 

Musician  Peters,  D  company,  voltigeurs 

RECAPITULATION. 

2  officers  wounded ;  1  private  mortally  wounded ;  8  men 
xvounded. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  327 

At  the  off  aw  of  the  National  Bridge,  August  12l/i,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Mr.  George  D.  Twiggs,  acting  in  the  staff  of  the  command- 
ing officer  ;  expecting  a  commission,  and  to  be  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Twiggs. 

Private  Casper  Beckman,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 

Private  William  Tomison,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 

Private  Henry  Slungey,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 

MORTALLY     WOUNDED. 

Private  Joseph  Fox,  H  company,  4th  infantry. 
Private  John  A.  Griffin,  C  company,  12th  infantry. 
Sergeant  R.  H.  Rogers,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  A.  N.  Crandle,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 
Private  A.  Miron,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 
Private  James  S.  Love,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  Charles  G.  Vowell,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 

WOUNDED. 

Captain  W.  J.  Clark,  12th  infantry;  in  the  thigh. 

Lieutenant  James  M.  Winder,  voltigeurs,  serving  with  light 
artillery  ;  wounded  severely  in  the  breast. 

Lieutenant  Chas.  M.  Creauor,  12th  infantry,  acting  assistant- 
quartermaster  ;  wounded  in  the  leg. 

Lieut.  Geo.  Adams,  marine  corps;  dangerously  in  the  thigh. 

Sergeant  Ebenezer  Legro,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 

Sergeant  William  Inglis,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 

Corporal  H.  I.  Lorenz,  G  company,  loth  infantry. 

Private  J.  Rice,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 

Private  L.  Knecht,  G  company,  15th  infantry. 

Private  G.  P.  Armidon,  G  company,  15th  infantry . 

Private  F.  Jackson,  G  company,  loth  infantry;  slightly. 

Private  N.  Kendall,  G  company,  15th  infantry ;  slightly. 

Private  H.  Hatter,  G  company,  15th  infantry  ;  slightly. 

Private  0.  Stone,  G  company,  15th  infantry  ;  slight^. 

Private  Jos.  C.  Crider,  C  company,  5th  infantry. 

Private  Wm.  H.  Harris,  C  company,  5th  infantry. 

Private  Jas.  T.  Mclntosh,  C  company,  5th  infantry. 


828  GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

WOUNDED — continued. 

Private  George  Leeal,  K  company,  voltigeurs. 
Private  Samuel  Daughsten,  K  company,  voltigeurs. 
Private  Lungton  Moore,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 
Sergeant  T.  G.  Wilkins,  A  company,  Louisiana  mounted  men. 

Private Harny,  A  company,  Louisiana  mounted  men. 

Private Shackford,  A  company,  Louisiana  mounted  men. 

Private  James  McLaughlin,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 
Private  Wm.  S.  Wood,  K  company,  llth  infantry. 
Private  John  Mabery,  of  Capt.  Loyall's  company,  Georgia 
mounted  men. 

Private  Rick  Ford,  G  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  Benjamin  Justice,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  Wm.  Kirksey,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  Elijah  Kirksey,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  Hardy  Shadrich,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 

Private Alf  ken,  D  company,  voltigeurs. 

Private  Reinich,  D  company,  voltigeurs. 
Private  Elijah  M.  Gates,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  Edward  McMillian,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  James  H.  Higgins,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  James  W.  Blasingham,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  Thomas  Wilson,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  John  F.  Foster,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 
Private  Thomas  Moore,  of  battery  of  light  artillery. 

RECAPITULATION. 

1  officer  killed  ;  4  officers  wounded  ;  3  men  killed  ;  7  men 
mortally  wounded  ;  36  men  wounded. 


At  the  affair  of  Cerro  Gordo,  August  \5th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Private  Frederick  Notter,  D  company,  5th  infantry. 
Private  Sam.  B.  Adams,  K  company,  voltigeurs. 

MORTALLY     WOUNDED. 

Private  George  A.  Genth,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  329 

WOUNDED. 

Sergeant  Peter  Ringler,  F  company,  3d  infantry. 
Private  Daniel  Jarrell,  I  company,  12th  infantry. 
Private  George  W.  Palmer,  H  company,  4th  infantry. 

Private Wilrainsh,  3d  infantry. 

Private  Wm.  Francis,  D  company,  5th  infantry. 
Private  John  Agan,  D  company,  5th  infantry. 
Private  Joseph  Tester,  D  company,  5th  infantry. 
Private  James  G.  Fitzgerald,  H  company,  4th  infantry. 
Sergeant  Talbot  H.  Low,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 
Private  Edward  Jones,  C  company,  5th  infantry. 

RECAPITULATION. 

2  men  killed  ;  10  men  wounded  ;  1  man  mortally  wounded. 


At  the  affair  of  Las  Animas,  August  19th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Private  Lonsdale,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 
Private  William  Bell,  K  company,  4th  infantry. 

WOUNDED. 

Major  F.  T.  Lally,  commanding  9th  infantry. 
Private  John  Sims,  H  company,  4th  infantry. 
Private  Bernard  Currien,  H  company,  4th  infantry. 
Private  James  C.  Reyle,  K  company,  voltigeurs. 
Private  Joshua  Shuwalt,  of  battery  light  artillery. 
Private  John  Baldwin. 

BECAPITULATION. 

2  men  killed  ;  6  men  wounded. 
Killed  elsewhere  on  the  road  than  at  the  above  engagements. 

Bugler  Francis  Laweraut,  A  company,  Louisiana  mounted 
men ;  at  San  Juan,  9th  August,  1847. 

Private  E.  S.  Davies,  H  co.,  4th  infantry,  14th  August,  1847. 
.  'Private  Antonian  Keisenbroke,  £  company,  12th  infantry, 
near  Santa  Fe,  9th  August,  1847. 

Private  James  Davies,  Captain  Loyall's  .company  Georgia 
mounted  men,  llth  August,  1847. 
28 


330 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 


Private  Michael  Ilumlin  ;  at  Plan  del  Eio. 

WOUNDED. 

Private  David  Griffin,  H  company,  4th  infantry,  14th  Au- 
gust, 1847. 

Sergeant  Henry  Buckley,  K  company,  12th  infantry,  llth 
August,  1847. 

Private  James  Henry. 

Private  Stephano  Rotendo,  C  company,  5th  infantry,  9th 
August,  1847. 

RECAPITULATION. 

5  men  killed  ;  4  men  wounded. 


FINAL     BEC APITUL ATION. 

1  officer  killed  ;  7  officers  wounded. 


At  the  -affairs  of  Passo  Ovejas, 
on  the  10th  Au<nist  1847     . 

Killed. 

Mortally     Officers 
wounded,  wounded. 

Men 

wounded. 

1 

7 

1 

2 

4 

1 

8 

36 

10 

6 
4 

At  the  battle  of  the  National 
Bridge,  on  the  12th  August, 
1847     

4 
2 

2 

5 

At  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
on  the  15th  August,  1847     . 
At  the   affair  of  Las  Animas, 
on  the  19th  August,  1847    . 
Elsewhere  on  the  march  .     .    . 

Total    

, 

13 

9 

7 

64 

Total  of  killed  and  wounded 93 

Missing       12 

Total  of  casualties 105 

B.  ALVORD, 

Captain  4th  Infantry,  Acting  Aa&  Adj.' Gen. 
JALAl'A,  August  27,  1817. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  331 

Killed,  wounded  and  missing  in  Brigadier-  General  Lane's 

march. 

Lieutenant  George  Cullman,  4th  Ohio  volunteers,  killed, 
Sept.  20th,  1847,  by  over  exerrton  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 

Private  Volk,  company  A,  4th  Ohio  volunteers,  wounded 
on  the  21st  Sept.,  at  Passo  de  Ovejas, 

Lieutenant  Cline,  Louisiana  mounted  volunteers,  killed  at 
Passo  de  Ovejas,  Sept.  22d. 

Private ,  killed  at  Passo  de  Ovejas,  Sept.,  22d. 

Corporal  Joseph  B.  Agnew,  company  K,  4th  Indiana  volun- 
teers, leg  shot  off  at  the  National  Bridge,  Sept.  26th,  1847. 

Private ,  killed  at  La  Hoya,  Oct.  2d. 

Private ,  wounded  at  La  Hoya,  Oct.  2d. 

Private ,  wounded  at  La  Hoya,  Oct,  2d 

List  of  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  at  the  Battle  of 
Huamantla,  Oct.  9th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Name.  Company.        Regiment. 

Captain  Samuel  H.  Walker,  C.  Rifles. 

Corporal  Merricken,  Joseph  E.,  C. 

Corporal  Glanding,  William,  C. 

Private  Hergenin,  P. 

Private  Tarbox,  C.  " 

Private  Rickey.  Geo.  Cav. 

Private  Richardson,  Geo.  Cav. 

Private  Smith,  3d  Art. 

Slave,  David,  Capt.  Walker. 

Sergeant  McLean.  La.  Cav. 

Private  Wall,  Co.  G,  4th  la.  vols. 

Private  Birch,  Co.  G,  4th  la.  vols. 

Private  Teedman,  4th  infantry. 

WOX7N  DE  D. 

2d  Lieut.  Chas.  Tansey,  co.  B,  4th  la.  vols.,  died  at  Puebla. 
Sergeant  liussoll,  company  B,  2d_dragoous. 


332 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  m 


Private  Geo.  W.  Walters,  co.  K,  4th  la.  vols. 
Private  Josiah  Bailey,  co.  C,  4th  la.  vols. 
Musician  Finch,  co.  E,  4th  la.  vols. 
Private  Martin  Dormar  co.  I,  4th  la.  vols. 

"       Peter  Campbell,  co.  I,  4th  la.  vols. 

"      Andrew  Hattenstine,  co.  D,  4th  0.  vols.,  serving  with 
Indiana  vols.,  leg  cut  off  afterward. 
Private  Meacham,    co.  C,  rifles. 
Private  Raborg,        co.  C,  rifles,  leg  off. 
Private  Welch,         co.  C,     " 
Private  Wayne,        co.  C,     " 
Private  McGill,        co.  C,     " 
Private  Scott,  co.  C,     " 

Private  Myers,          co.  C,     " 
Private  Forneley,  Geo.  cavalry. 

Private  Milton,  Geo.  cavalry. 

Private  Murrey,  Louisiana  Cavalry. 

Private  Stetson,  Louisiana  Cavalry. 


MI  s  8  i  NO. 

Sergeant  Gosling,  co.  C,  rifles. 

Private  Dement,  co.  C,     " 
Private  Isaac  P.  Darlington,    co.  C,     " 

Private  Collins,  co.  C,     " 

Private  McClcerey,  co.  C,     " 

Private  Richards,  co.  C,     " 

Private  Brackholst,  1st  Penn.  vols. 

Private  Lienburg,  voltigeurs. 

Private  Leland,  voltigeurs. 

Private  Murphy,  co.  I,  4th  la.  vols. 
Total,  42. 

Wagon-Master  Poley — arm  shot  off,  near  Napaloucan,  October 
10th,  1847. 

Teamster  ,  killed,  October  10th. 

Private  Eckert,  company  H,  4th  Ohio  volunteers— wounded 
atELPinaL  October  llth,  1847. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  333 

List  of  killed  and  wounded  during  the  siege  of  Puebla, 
begun  on  the  13th  of  September  and  ended  on  the  12th  of 
October,  1847. 

Field  and  Staff. — Wounded— Thomas  Wongierski,  secretary 
of  Col.  Childs. 

Second  Dragoons. — Killed — Private  Cornwell. 

•Third  Dragoons.— Wounded— Private  Eli  Stewart,  slightly, 
company  D. 

Mounted  Rifles.  —  Killed  —  Private  Smith,  company  H. 
Wounded — Privates  Blair,  company  D,  and  Campbell,  com- 
pany B. 

Second  Artillery. — Wounded — Privates  Rowland,  company 
B  ;  Curry,  company  B,  and  Rumner,  company  H. 

Fourth  Artillery. — Wounded  —  Private  Newton,  company 
F,  attached  to  company  A. 

Second  Infantry. — Wounded — Corporal  William  Patterson, 
company  E,  severely. 

Voltigeur  Regiment.  —  Killed  —  Private  John  H.  Burgess. 
Wounded  —  Privates  John  Wilson,  company  A,  and  David 
Ricketts  ;  both  slightly. 

Marines. — Wounded — Sergeant  J.  T.  Packet,  and  private 
John  Harder ;  both  slightly. 

First  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  —  Company  A. — Wounded, 
severely — Privates  George  Ruscheberger,  James  McCutcheon, 
David  Lindsay,  Henry  Lynch,  Mansfield  Mason,  James  Bow- 
don.  Wounded,  slightly — Privates  John  H.  Hoover  and  John 
Dowlan.  Company  C. —  Killed  —  Private  William  Enrick. 
Wounded — Privates  Charles  Collison,  and  John  B.  Herron ; 
both  severely.  Missing  —  Private  Morris  Stanlear.  Company 
D. — Wounded — Corporal  Sylvester  Beasly,  slightly ;  privates 
John  McClelland,  and  James  Lambert ;  both  severely.  Com' 
pany  G.  —  Wounded  —  Privates  James  Wilkner,  severely; 
Samuel  Houpt,  slightly  ;  William  Schultz,  slightly ;  musician 
Daniel  Evan,  severely.  Company  I. — Killed — Private  John 
Proece.  Wounded,— Sergeant  Dominick  Deranjjy;  privates 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IN 

James  Ellis,  and  David  W.  Yarlott,  all  slightly ;  private  Luke 
"Floyd,  severely.  Company  K. — Killed — Corporal  E.  H.  Jones; 
privates  John  C.  Gilchrist,  John  H.  Herrod,  F.  B.  Johns,  H. 
Krutzelmani),  James  Phillips,  William  A.  Phillips,  Samuel 
D.  Sewell,  W.  Schmidt,  D.  S.  Vernoy,  F.  Vandyke,  Joseph 
Wilson,  and  Samuel  Troyer.  Wounded — Captain  John  Her- 
ron ;  privates  Thomas  B.  Fernham,  A.  E.  Marshall,  W.  C 
Winebiddler,  and  R.  Reed,  all  slightly ;  Thomas  B.  Thorn- 
berg,  Samuel  Sloop,  and  Charles  W.  Blakeman,  all  severely. 
Missing — Private  John  Longstaff. 

Second  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. — Wounded — Ser- 
geant W.  W.  Delhi,  company  A,  severely;  private  John  Biers, 
company  B,  slightly. 

South  Carolina  Volunteers. —  Killed  —  private  Hardy,  com- 
pany G. 

Spy  Company.— -Wounded  —  Officer  John  Messe ;  privates 
Cordero,  two  brothers  Domingos,  and  Jose  Serezo. 

Qvartermaster's  Department. — Wounded  —  A.  B.  Duncan, 
slightly ;  William  Waddell,  slightly ;  William  Johnson,  se- 
verely; Daniel  Sims,  servant  of  Col.  Childs,  wounded  slightly. 

Fourth  Indiana  Volunteers. — Wounded — Private  John  Mil- 
ler, company  I ;  private  Waschihoski,  company  K 

Fourth  Ohio  Volunteers. — Killed — Private  Andrew  Antrican, 
company  D  ;  privates  Francis  Gilbert,  and  James  Sloan,  com- 
pany K. 


Atlixco,   October  \9th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Private ,  3d  dragoons. 

WOUNDED. 

Private ,3d  dragoons;   private  James  McDer- 

iiiott  company  1, 4th  Indiana  volunteers. 

If  I  8  B  IIST  G. 

Private  John  'Border,  company  D,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 


CENTRAL  MEXICO.  335 

Tlascala,  November  \Qth,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Private  Charles  Coulter,  company  D,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 
MISSING. 

Private  William  C.   Crookshank,  company  K,  4th  Indiana 
volunteers. 


Matamoros    and  Pass   of  Galajara,  November   23d  and 
24th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

First  Lieutenant  Henderson  Ridgely,  4th  regiment  United 
States'  infantry. 

Private  William  Walpas,  Texas  rangers. 

Private  John  Sorder,  company  D,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 

Mr.  O'Brien,  a  citizen. 

WOUNDED. 
First  Lieutenant  Waters,  Louisiana  mounted  volunteers. 

Private — ,  Texas  rangers. 

Privates  Gorman,  Foss,  and  Friedman,  2d  artillery. 


Guerrilla  JKanche,  December  5th,  1847. 

KILLED. 

Private  Harvey  Drake,  company  I,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 
Private  Goldsmith  P.  Adams. 

WOUNDED 
Five  men. 


Killed  and  wounded  in  Puebla,  at  different  times. 

KILLED. 

Samuel  .Thomas  and  Thoaias  Russell,  company  I,  4th. In- 
diana volunteers.      .  .... 

Sergeant  Lytle,  company  I,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 
Private — — ,  company  E,  .4th  Indiana  volunteers. 


GEN.  LANE'S  BRIGADE  IK  MEXICO. 

WOUNDED. 
Private  Jones,  company  H,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 

At  San  Martin's,  February  21th,  1848. 

KILLED. 

Capt.  Hermann  Kessler,  4th  Ohio  volunteers,  commanding 
artillery  battery. 

Private  Leagle,  artillery  battery. 

Private  Wohlleber,  company  A,  4th  Ohio  volunteers. 


At  Cholula,  March  26tf,  1848. 

WOUNDED. 

Sergeant  Washington    O'Neal,  company    K,  4th  Indiana 
volunteers. 

Private  Robert  Robert,  company  K,  4th  Indiana  volunteers. 


Wounded  near  Napdtoucan,  Dec.,  1847. 
Asst  Surgeon  Elisha  K.  Kane,  U.  S.  Navy. 

Kitted  at  Matacordera,  Feb.  19th,  1849. 
Lieut  Henderson,  Louisiana  mounted  volunteers. 


Wounded  at  SequaUeplan,  Feb.  25th,  1848. 
Lieut  Harris  Davis,  Texas  Rangers. 

Sergeant  Major  Gilbert  Brush,        "  " 

Private  Jacob  M.  Horn,  "          " 

Private  Thomas  Greer,  "          " 

Private  Peter  Gass,  "          " 

GRAND    TOTAL. 

KILLED—  7  Officers,  81  Soldiers,  10  Teamsters.   -   Total  98 
WOUNDED—  11  Officers,  134  Soldiers,  8  Teamsters,  Total  153 
Missjjro—  27  Soldiers,      ..........  J27 

Total    ...............  278 


1-11 


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